Where does “fruit” come from?
Fruit comes from Middle English frute, from Old French fruit, from Latin fructus meaning "produce or harvest," derived from the verb fruor meaning "to enjoy or have the use of," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰruHg-.
fruit (English): In general, a product of plant growth useful to...
Definitions
- In general, a product of plant growth useful to...
Ancestry of “fruit”, step by step
fruit traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French fruit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | fruit | fruit |
| 2 | Middle French | fruict | fruit |
| 3 | Old French | fruit | fruit |
| 4 | Latin | frūctus | enjoyed; having derived pleasure from |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δῶρον | gift; hand's width |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | dṓron | gift |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | déh₃rom | gift |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |
via Albanian fruth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albanian | fruth | measles |
| 2 | Proto-Albanian | spurtˢa | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | spr̥ḱ- | — |
via Middle English fruyt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fruyt | Alternative form of frute |