Where does “grapefruit” come from?
Grapefruit, a hybrid citrus fruit first cultivated in Barbados in the 18th century, derives from English grape and fruit, with fruit tracing through Middle English frute, Old French fruit, Latin fructus, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ger-.
grapefruit (English): The tree of the species "Citrus paradisi", a...
Definitions
- The tree of the species "Citrus paradisi", a...
Ancestry of “grapefruit”, step by step
grapefruit traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English fruit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fruit | In general, a product of plant growth useful to... |
| 2 | French | fruit | fruit |
| 3 | Middle French | fruict | fruit |
| 4 | Old French | fruit | fruit |
| 5 | Latin | frūctus | enjoyed; having derived pleasure from |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | δῶρον | gift; hand's width |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | dṓron | gift |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | déh₃rom | gift |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |
via English grape
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grape | A small, round, smooth-skinned edible fruit,... |
| 2 | Middle English | grape | — |
| 3 | Old French | grappe | grappling hook; fruits or flowers together |
| 4 | Old French | graper | to pick grapes |
| 5 | Old French | grap | hook |
| 6 | Frankish | krappō | hook; a hook |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | grep- | hook; a hook, force |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gremb- | crooked, uneven |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
via French grape-fruit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | grape-fruit | grapefruit |