apple
/ˈæpəl/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*ap(a)laz — apple
Overview
Meaning Now
- The round, edible fruit of a tree of the rose family, which typically has thin red or green skin and firm white flesh.
- The tree that bears this fruit.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Modern English
Earliest form
æppel
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The word originally referred to any kind of fruit or vegetable as late as the 17th century; for example, the potato was sometimes called an 'apple of the earth' (pomme de terre).
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*h₂ébōl
“fruit”
- Proto-Germanic
*ap(a)laz
“apple”
- Old English
æppel
“apple, fruit in general”
- Middle English
appel
“apple”
Connections
Word parts
apple
root
apple
Related across languages
Old High German
apful
apple
Old Norse
epli
apple
Old Irish
aball
apple tree
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.