English
papillon
Papillon comes from French papillon ‘butterfly’, and goes back to Latin pāpiliō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāpiliō‘butterfly, moth’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpapillon‘butterfly’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpāpiliō‘butterfly, moth’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentpapillon‘butterfly’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
Earliest quotation: 2014, Rachel Nuwer, Lassie gets an upgrade: “The researchers tested various breeds, including border collies, golden…”
Linked words
through Latin pāpiliō ‘butterfly, moth’
Today it means
noun A small dog of a certain toy spaniel breed having large upright ears with a shape that resembles butterfly wings.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin pāpiliō / papillon