strawberry
ˈstrɔːbəri
noun
Origin
Old English
strēaw + berige — strewed berry
Overview
Meaning Now
- A sweet, red, heart-shaped edible fruit produced by a herbaceous plant of the rose family.
- The plant that produces this fruit.
Literal older meaning
berry that is strewn
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
strēawberige
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The name is thought to derive from the plant's habit of spreading its runners over the ground, as if 'strewn' or 'strawed' about. Another theory suggests it refers to the straw often used as mulch around the plants to keep the fruit off the soil.
Evolution
- Old English
strēawberige
“strawberry”
Compound of strēaw (straw) and berige (berry).
- Middle English
strawberie
“strawberry”
- Modern English
strawberry
“strawberry”
Standardized spelling.
Connections
Word parts
straw
root
straw or scattered material
berry
root
small fruit
Related across languages
Old High German
strouper i
strawberry
Dutch
aardbei
strawberry (literally 'earth berry')
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.