English
mariposa lily
Mariposa lily comes from Spanish mariposa ‘butterfly’.
- Spanishc. 1500–presentmariposa‘butterfly’
- Englishtodaymariposa lily
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Spanishc. 1500–presentmariposa‘butterfly’
- Englishtodaymariposa lily
The story
So called from the attractive appearance of the blossoms.
Every English word from Spanish mariposa
Today it means
noun Any member of several species in the genus Calochortus that grow in dry grasslands and semideserts, characterized as tuliplike, bulbous herbs with large and often brightly colored blossoms.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Spanish mariposa / mariposa lily