Nomen

die Libelle

dragonfly

Eine blaue Libelle fliegt über den See.

A blue dragonfly is flying over the lake.

die Libelle (a dragonfly) Eine Libelle sitzt auf einem Blatt.

Synonyms: Wasserjungfer (poetic).

From the Latin word 'libella,' which is a diminutive of 'libra' (balance), probably because of the way dragonflies hover in a balanced way.

Think of a dragonfly keeping its 'level' in the air. The word 'Libelle' sounds a bit like 'little bell,' you can imagine its wings making a tiny bell-like sound.

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