Where does “cherry” come from?
Cherry comes from Middle English chery, from Anglo-Norman cherise, from Vulgar Latin ceresia, from Latin cerasium, derived from Ancient Greek κερασός, a tree bearing small fruits.
cherry (English): A small fruit, usually red, black or yellow, with...
Definitions
- A small fruit, usually red, black or yellow, with...
Ancestry of “cherry”, step by step
cherry traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English chery
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chery | Alternative form of cheri |
| 2 | Old English | ċiris | (appears in compounds) |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kirsijā | cherry |
| 4 | Latin | ceresia | cherry |
| 5 | Latin | ceresium | — |
| 6 | Latin | cerasium | cherry, fruit of the cherry tree |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | κεράσιον | cherry; cherry tree |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | κερασός | bird cherry, "Prunus avium" |
| 9 | Akkadian | ???? | pear-tree |
via Middle English chirie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | chirie | Alternative form of cheri |
| 2 | Old English | ċirse | cherry |
via Middle English cherie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cherie | Alternative form of cheri |