apricot

Where does the word "apricot" come from? It comes from Arabic al-birquq, passing through French before entering English (1550s).

Apricot’s story begins in Arabic: al-birquq meant “the early-ripening fruit.” Borrowed from Byzantine Greek 'praikokion', ultimately from Latin 'praecoquum', early-ripening. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as abricot. Carried into French via Spanish and Catalan trade routes. It reached English by 1550s as apricot. Settled as the English word for the orange stone fruit. Today, apricot means a small orange stone fruit related to the peach and plum.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval al-birquq "the early-ripening fruit", borrowed from Byzantine Greek 'praikokion', ultimately from Latin 'praecoquum', early-ripening.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1500s abricot "the apricot fruit", carried into French via Spanish and Catalan trade routes.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1550s apricot "a small orange stone fruit", settled as the English word for the orange stone fruit.