Wordymology is a series in which the editors at The Free Dictionary
explore the origins of the names of things. Did you have any idea how many different fruits are actually named after
the apple? Let’s explore some of these juicy etymologies.
The Persian Apple
The English word “peach” has its roots in the Latin phrase Persicum mālum, literally
meaning “Persian apple.” This phrase is a bit of a misnomer, though, because
the peach probably originated in China. Persia may be emphasized in the Latin
name because the Romans most likely had access to the peach only after it had
reached Persia.
The Seedy Apple
The pomegranate is known for its many seeds,
and that fact did not escape speakers of Medieval Latin, who called it pōmum
grānātum—literally, “seedy apple.”
You can find seeds of the name “pomegranate” in the etymologies of several
seemingly unrelated things, such as the grenade (named for its resemblance in
shape to the pomegranate) and grenadine (a syrup made from pomegranate
juice).
The Pineapple
It’s not an apple, and it doesn’t grow on a pine
tree, so where does the pineapple get its name? “Pineapple”
comes from the Middle English term pineappel, a word once used for
what we would call a pinecone (the idea being that it was the “fruit” of the
pine tree). That name was then applied to what we now call a pineapple likely
just because of the resemblance of its rough, spiny covering. (Kind of like how
the grapefruit was so-named probably just
because it grows in clusters, somewhat like grapes. F for creativity, fruit
namers.)
The Apple of the Orange Tree
The orange first existed in Asia, but it
only became the “orange” after some etymological evolution. The first stop on
this journey was India, as “orange” ultimately has its roots in words from the Dravidian language family, which
includes languages spoken in India and Sri Lanka. In ancient times, a Dravidian
word similar to nāram—the modern Tamil word for “orange”—was
adopted into the Indo-European language Sanskrit as nāraṅgaḥ.
As the fruit traveled from India, it picked up several new names, such as
the Persian nārang and Arabic nāranj. Arabs then
introduced the orange to Europe between the 8th and 10th centuries.
The Arabic word nāranj is the source of Old Italian arancio,
“orange tree,” and this word was combined with the Old Italian word mela,
“apple,” to make melarancio. This word literally means “apple of
the orange tree,” an idea that carried through to Old French, in which pume
d'orenge meant the same thing. (It seems they had no problem mixing
apples and oranges back then!) The “a” in the Old
Italian word might have been replaced by an “o” in French either in reference
to the French town of Orange, or due to the French word or,
“gold”—referencing the fruit’s color.
Speaking of that color, by the time the 16th century rolled around, the
English word “orange” became synonymous with the color orange. Orange you glad
it did?
The Apple Gourd
The word “melon” is short for Latin mēlopepō, from Greek mēlopepōn.
This word combines mēlon, meaning “apple,” with pepōn,
meaning “gourd,” perhaps because the melon has a hard rind like a gourd.
The melon isn’t the only member of the gourd
family with a name that links to the apple, though—there’s also the colocynth, a fruit that has been dubbed the “bitter apple,” thanks to its
unpleasant-tasting pulp.
The Apple of Cydonia
The quince, a seeded fruit commonly used in preserves, has been cultivated in the
Mediterranean region since ancient times. It’s not surprising, then, that the
name “quince” comes, through much alteration, from mêlon Kydṓnion,
a Greek phrase meaning “apple of Cydonia” (Cydonia was a city in ancient
Greece). Unlike some of the other fruits we’ve mentioned, the quince actually
bears a resemblance to the apple, but has a very acidic taste.
The Apple of Love...
The tomato is thought to have gotten this
lovely nickname from the translation of the French phrase pomme d’amour,
literally “apple of love,” which comes from the belief that the tomato could be
used as an aphrodisiac. The “love apple” was at one time grown just for
ornament.
...or the Wolf Peach?
Forget the debate about whether the tomato is a
fruit or a vegetable—is it an apple or a peach? And not just any old peach: the
genus name for the tomato is Lycopersicon, which combines the Greek
words lukos, “wolf,” and persikon, “peach.” The name
likely harkens back to the once widespread notion that the tomato is poisonous.
(Indeed, the plant is a member of the nightshade family and all parts other
than the fruit are in fact toxic.)
What about the pome?
“Pome” is the general name for a type of fleshy fruit that has several seed
chambers. We’ve actually already discussed two fruits that are considered
pomes—the apple and the quince. The word “pome” comes from the Late Latin word pōma,
meaning, what else, “apple.” Relatedly, the French word for “apple” is pomme and
also lends its name to other non-apple apples, like the pomme de terre—or
potato—literally meaning “apple of the Earth.” So, next time you see pommes
frites on a French menu, know that you’re not ordering fried apples.
If you liked them apple facts, go ahead and share them with the apple of
your eye!