FRUITFUL ETYMOLOGIES

Where Did The Kiwi Get Its Name? 10 Fruit Names Explained

Image: PM Shamika

Ever wondered why "pineapple" combines "pine" and "apple," or why kiwis share their name with New Zealand's flightless bird? The origins of fruit names are as colorful and varied as the fruits themselves. Take a sweet bite of this article and dive into the fascinating etymologies behind these 10 well-loved fruits.

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The word "apple" originates from the Old English "æppel," which was a generic term for all fruits. Over time, its use narrowed specifically to the apple we know today.

Kind of underwhelming, eh? However, this might explain why there are so many different fruits named after apples. Also, since apples are thought to have been domesticated a whopping 10,000 years ago in Central Asia, the roots of their name can be traced back through many languages and centuries, showing how integral the fruit has been in various cultures.

Image: Giorgio Trovato

While the etymology of one of the world’s most popular fruits is a bit fuzzy due to its widespread cultural embrace, most researchers agree that the word "banana" stems from the Arabic banaan meaning finger. Believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia, bananas were brought to the Western world by Arab traders who spread them across North Africa and into Spain.

The name, along with the fruit itself, was eventually introduced to the Americas by Portuguese sailors who brought bananas from West Africa in the 16th century.

Image: Cristina Anne Costello

The word "orange" boasts some of the oldest roots on this list. It comes from the Sanskrit "nāraṅga," literally meaning "orange tree," and passed through Persian and Arabic before entering European languages.

Interestingly, the fruit’s name predates the use of "orange" to describe the color in English. Beyond its intriguing etymology, oranges have a fascinating botanical history: they are actually hybrids of ancient citrus varieties, specifically mandarin and pomelo.

Image: Nacho Domínguez Argenta

According to various sources, the word "grape" may originate from a Proto-Germanic term meaning "to hook" (krappen), likely referring to the hook-like tool used for harvesting the fruit. Alternatively, it might derive from the Old French "grape," a collective singular meaning "a bunch of grapes" or vine stock.

Interestingly, in Old English, grapes were called "winberige," meaning "wine berry"—a practical name given their role in winemaking. However, this term was eventually replaced by the familiar "grape" following the Norman invasion of England.

Image: Ariel

Indigenous to South America, the sweet and tangy pineapple surprised European explorers with its resemblance to a pine cone. Curiously, the first European to encounter the pineapple was Columbus, who brought it back to Spain and called it "piña de Indes," meaning "pine of the Indians."

The fruit became a huge hit, captivating Europeans with both its taste and exotic appearance. It quickly became a status symbol, with pineapples often purchased at exorbitant prices and displayed for months in royal courts before being consumed—only when they started to rot.

Image: Mohammad Amin Masoudi

Although cherries have been consumed since prehistoric times, the English word "cherry" comes from the Old French "cherise," which in turn derives from the Latin "cerasum." This Latin term referred to the ancient Greek region of Kerasous, near modern-day Turkey, where cherries are believed to have been first cultivated and then exported throughout Europe.

Interestingly, the name "cherry" is also used for several fruits that are similar in size and shape but not botanically related to the true cherry, such as the Jamaican and Spanish cherries.

Image: LuAnn Hunt

The word "peach" is derived from the Latin "persica," meaning "Persian apple," reflecting the ancient belief that the fruit originated in Persia (modern-day Iran). However, recent genetic studies suggest that peaches actually originated in China, where they have been cultivated since the Neolithic period.

While some believe that peaches were brought to Europe by Alexander the Great following his conquests in Persia, there is no historical evidence to support this claim. Nevertheless, the Romans were already quite familiar with peaches by the first century AD, indicating that extensive trade routes for the fruit must have existed.

Image: Ghana Shyam Khadka

Cultivated in Southeast Asia since ancient times, the word for mango stems from the Tamil word "mankay," where "man" refers to the tree and "kay" to the fruit. Portuguese traders who encountered the fruit in India brought the term to Europe in the 16th century as "manga."

The scientific name for the fruit, Mangifera indica, quite literally refers to a plant that produces mangoes in India. Fun fact: the similar Latin word "mango," meaning dealer or trader, is completely unrelated. It is, in fact, the origin of the English word "monger" (as in "fishmonger").

Image: Jonas Renner

Another victim of apples' popularity, the word "pomegranate" is derived from the Latin "pomum" (meaning apple) and "granatum" (seeded), reflecting its unique botanical structure, filled with numerous seeds. The Old French term "pomme-grenade" influenced the modern English form.

In early English, the fruit was known as "apple of Grenada," a term that resulted from an etymological confusion, mistakenly linking the Spanish city of Granada (derived from an unrelated Arabic word) with the Latin roots of the word.

Image: Andrea Hajdu

Who came first—the bird or the fruit? Kiwis (the fruits) have long puzzled their discoverers. A 1904 English nursery catalog described them as having "...edible fruits the size of walnuts, and the flavor of ripe gooseberries." Due to this resemblance, the fruit was initially known in Western exports as the Chinese gooseberry (just to clarify, gooseberries are definitely not related to geese).

However, when New Zealand growers began cultivating the fruit, they noted its brown, fuzzy appearance reminiscent of the flightless kiwi bird and decided to rename it kiwifruit for marketing purposes. Interestingly, another name for the fruit at the time was melonette. However, due to exceedingly high U.S. tariffs on melon imports, most growers chose to go the safe route and adopt the kiwi name, leading to the familiar term we use today.

PHILOSOPHY TO GO

10 Essential Nuggets Of Wisdom From Ancient Philosophers

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Ancient philosophers may have lived in a time long past, but their ideas continue to resonate with us today. In their pursuit of understanding the complexities of existence, they often came up with simple yet profound insights that still hold relevance in our modern lives.

Join us as we uncover 10 fundamental ideas from antiquity’s wisest minds.

Image: Михаил Секацкий

"To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom"

Socrates, the father of Western philosophy, urged individuals to delve deep into self-awareness. He famously argued that an unexamined life was not worth living, as understanding oneself is the key to living a fulfilled life. By questioning our beliefs, desires, and motives, we can navigate the complexities of existence with clarity and purpose.

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"Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you"

Confucius emphasized the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. His Golden Rule of treating others the same way we expect to be treated ourselves is a timeless reminder of the power that empathy and compassion have in fostering harmonious relationships and societies.

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"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will"

Stoic philosophers like Epictetus taught the concept of focusing only on what is within our control and accepting what is not. This principle liberates us from unnecessary worry about external events, enabling us to focus our time and energy on actions that can actually make a difference in our lives.

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"Virtue is the golden mean between two vices, the one of excess and the other of deficiency"

Aristotle advocated for moderation in all things, promoting the idea of finding the balance between extremes. Whether it's in pursuing pleasure, seeking knowledge, or exercising virtues, maintaining a middle path fosters harmony and avoids the pitfalls of excess.

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"Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being"

The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi extolled the virtues of simplicity and spontaneity. By embracing the natural flow of life and shedding unnecessary complexities, we can find true contentment and peace within ourselves.

Image: Wil Stewart

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not"

Epicurus defined pleasure as the absence of pain and tranquility of the mind. His philosophy encourages seeking simple pleasures and cultivating inner serenity rather than chasing fleeting desires that go nowhere, leading to a more sustainable and fulfilling life.

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"No one ever steps in the same river twice"

Heraclitus famously argued that change is the only constant in life. Just like the waters of a running river are never the same, every element of existence transforms yet simultaneously retains an element of itself. Embracing this inevitable part of life allows us to adapt and grow, finding strength in the ebb and flow of things.

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"The greatest wealth is to live content with little"

Diogenes, the Cynic philosopher, lived a minimalist lifestyle to demonstrate the insignificance of material possessions. Allegedly, when asked by Alexander the Great what he could do for him, he bluntly asked the monarch to move so he would stop blocking his sunlight. His radical rejection of both wealth and social status challenges us to reassess our priorities and find true value in the intangible aspects of life.

Image: Denys Nevozhai

"Accept the things to which fate binds you"

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius embraced stoicism and with it the idea of fate and the impermanence of life. By acknowledging the inevitability of death and adversity in life, he sought to cultivate inner resilience and focus on living virtuously in the present moment.

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"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all"

Hypatia, a renowned mathematician and philosopher in ancient Alexandria, championed the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual inquiry. Despite societal constraints placed on women during her time, she fearlessly pursued learning. A tragic heroine of antiquity, she teaches us that thinking is our utmost right, and the only way to reach truth is learning from our mistakes.