Alan Gillanders wrote
"The English "moth" probably derives from the German "Motte"."
It could have been directly borrowed, but much more likely it simply shares
a common ancestor with the German word, especially as Dutch has a cognate
word. The OED seems to have this view, though it thinks the common Germanic
word they both derive from is difficult to reconstruct.
In the same way you wouldn't say 'Yellow-rumped Thornbills derive from
Buff-rumped Thornbill". They probably share a common ancestor.
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John Leonard (Dr)
http://www.webone.com.au/~jleonard
PO Box 243, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia
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