Where does “grapevine” come from?
Grapevine derives from English vine combined with grape, which comes from Middle English grape, Old French grappe meaning a bunch of grapes, Frankish krappō, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ger- relating to gathering or seizing.
grapevine (English): The plant, a vine of genus "Vitis", on which...
Definitions
- The plant, a vine of genus "Vitis", on which...
Ancestry of “grapevine”, step by step
grapevine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 English vine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | vine | The climbing plant that produces grapes; Any... |
| 2 | Middle English | vīne | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | vigne | vine; vineyard |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | vinia | — |
| 5 | Latin | vīnea | vineyard |
| 6 | Latin | vīnum | wine |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | wīnom | wine |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyh₁nom | wine; vine, wine |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₁y- | to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,... |