Where does “late harvest” come from?
late harvest (English) comes from English harvest, from Middle English harvest, from Old English hærfest, from Proto-West Germanic harbist, from Proto-Germanic harbistaz, from Proto-Germanic harbaz, from Proto-Indo-European kerp-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
late harvest (English): The grapes left on the vine for several weeks past peak ripeness; this extended time dehydrates the grapes, concentrating their sugars and acids, resulting in richer, sweeter wine (see dessert wine)
Definitions
- The grapes left on the vine for several weeks past peak ripeness; this extended time dehydrates the grapes, concentrating their sugars and acids, resulting in richer, sweeter wine (see dessert wine)
Ancestry of “late harvest”, step by step
late harvest traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English harvest
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | harvest | The third season of the year; autumn; fall; The... |
| 2 | Middle English | harvest | — |
| 3 | Old English | hærfest | harvest; autumn |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | harbist | harvest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | harbistaz | harvest; autumn, fall |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | harbaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kerp- | to pluck, harvest |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |
via English late
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | late | Near the end of a period of time; Specifically,... |
| 2 | Middle English | late | Manner; behaviour; outward appearance or aspect;... |
| 3 | Old English | late | slow(ly) |
| 4 | Old English | læt | slow; slack, lax, negligent; late |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaz | freeman; bondsman; serf |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |