Why do we call flies, "flies?"

Question

How did it come to be that we call them what they do---fly, when billions of other insects also fly? Do folks in other countries (other than USA) call them the same thing?

Answer 1

I don't know, but when I manage to nail one with my electric zapper paddle, they make a very entertaining POP and then they die.  

Answer 2

Roots of word come from the past, and may or will change in other generations to come.

Answer 3

If you pull the wings off them you can call them walks. Seen it on the net someplace.

Answer 4

About the english name, I've always assumed it was because of the reason you gave, that they fly and that they fly in a way we tend to consider annoying. Have you noticed that they tend to fly in polygonal shapes around the center of rooms for long periods? I've even posted a question here once about that, trying to find out why they do that but I don't think anyone has been able to give me a convincing answer!

As for other languages, in portuguese they are called "moscas", which comes from the latin word "musca", which means the insect but also "parasite" or "annoying/undesirable person". Anyway, in this case, as far as I know, it has nothing to do with the fact that they fly. In french, they're called "mouches", which probably comes from the same latin root and I think it doesn't relate to flying either. And this is all I know. Hope it helped!