Where does “pòm zombi” come from?

pòm zombi (Haitian Creole) comes from Haitian Creole pòm, from French pommé, from Middle French pomme, from Old French pome, from Latin pōmum, from Latin pōmus, from Proto-Italic poomos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂po-h₁ém-os — from, off, back; off, away; off, from.

pòm zombi (Haitian Creole): Hippomane spinosa, a toxic plant related to the manchineel

Definitions

  1. Hippomane spinosa, a toxic plant related to the manchineel

Ancestry of “pòm zombi”, step by step

pòm zombi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Haitian Creole pòm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Haitian Creolepòmapple
2Frenchpommépast participle of pommer; grown round, or like...
3Middle Frenchpomme
4Old Frenchpomeapple
5Latinpōmumany type of fruit (applied to apples, cherries, nuts, berries, figs, dates, etc.)
6Latinpōmusfruit
7Proto-Italicpoomosfruit
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂po-h₁ém-ostaken off
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epofrom, off, back; off, away; off, from

via Haitian Creole zombi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Haitian Creolezombi
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epoEvery word from Proto-Indo-European h₂po-h₁ém-osEvery word from Proto-Italic poomos