artichoke

Overview

Meaning Now

• A perennial thistle of the family Asteraceae, specifically the globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), of which the immature flower head is eaten as a vegetable.
• The edible, fleshy base of the bracts and the heart (receptacle) of this flower head.

Journey

The artichoke was known in the Mediterranean since antiquity, but its widespread cultivation as a culinary plant in Europe gained momentum in the 15th and 16th centuries, particularly in Italy, from where the name entered other European languages.

Evolution

1. Arabic (Classical)

   al-kharshūf

   “the artichoke”

2. Spanish (Old)

   alcarchofa

   “artichoke”

   Borrowed from Arabic

3. Italian (Northern)

   articiocco

   “artichoke”

4. English (16th century)

   artichock

   “artichoke”

Connections

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Related to artichoke

• cardoon→
• abra→
• abricot→