English
Fresno
Fresno comes from Spanish fresno ‘ash tree’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵós ‘birch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerHǵós‘birch’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frā̆ksinosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfraxinus‘an ash tree’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500fresno‘ash tree’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘ash tree’
- Englishearliest quotation 2025Fresno
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerHǵós‘birch’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frā̆ksinosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfraxinus‘an ash tree’
- Old Spanishc. 950–1500fresno‘ash tree’
- Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘ash tree’
- Englishearliest quotation 2025Fresno
Earliest quotation: 2025, Zoe Sottile, Julia Vargas Jones: “Desperate family members and authorities in central California are…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵós ‘birch’
Today it means
name A city, the county seat of Fresno County, in central California, United States.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵós / Fresno