English
cherry
Cherry comes from Anglo-Norman cherise, from Late Latin ceresium ‘Late Latin form of cerasium’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek κερᾰσός ‘bird cherry, Prunus avium (tree)’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκερᾰσός‘bird cherry, Prunus avium (tree)’earlier origin unknown
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκεράσιονkerásion‘cherry fruit’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEceresium‘Late Latin form of cerasium’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEceresia
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kirsijāreconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cherise
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chery
- Englishearliest quotation 1965cherry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκερᾰσός‘bird cherry, Prunus avium (tree)’earlier origin unknown
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκεράσιονkerásion‘cherry fruit’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEceresium‘Late Latin form of cerasium’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEceresia
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kirsijāreconstructed
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cherise
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chery
- Englishearliest quotation 1965cherry
Earliest quotation: 1965, 1955, J. P. Donleavy: “Well, Dangerfield, in less than an hour I'm off…”
The story
From Middle English chery, cherie, chirie, from Anglo-Norman cherise (mistaken as a plural) and Old English ċiris, ċirse (‘cherry’), from Proto-West Germanic *kirsijā, from Vulgar Latin ceresia, derived from Late Latin ceresium, cerasium, from Ancient Greek κεράσιον (kerásion, “cherry fruit”), from κερασός (kerasós, “bird cherry”), and ultimately possibly of Anatolian origin (the intervocalic σ suggests a pre-Greek origin for the word).
Linked words
through Vulgar Latin ceresia
Today it means
noun A small fruit, usually red, black or yellow, with a smooth hard seed and a short hard stem.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κερᾰσός / cherry