Where does “guava” come from?
Guava comes from Spanish guayaba, from Spanish guaya, from Arawak guayabo, the name of the tropical fruit tree and its fruit.
guava (English): A tropical tree or shrub of the myrtle family,...
Definitions
- A tropical tree or shrub of the myrtle family,...
Ancestry of “guava”, step by step
guava traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish guaya
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | guaya | metallic wire |
| 2 | English | wire | Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now... |
| 3 | Middle English | wir | — |
| 4 | Old English | wīr | wire, metal thread, wire-ornament |
| 5 | English | myrtle | An evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus... |
| 6 | Old French | myrte | — |
| 7 | Latin | myrtus | myrtle |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | μύρτος | myrtle; twig or spray of myrtle |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | μυρίκη | tamarisk |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | -ίκη | — |