cherimoya

Where does the word "cherimoya" come from? It comes from Quechua chirimuya, passing through Spanish before entering English (1750s).

Cherimoya’s story begins in Quechua: chirimuya meant “cold seeds.” Combined 'chiri' (cold) and 'muya' (seeds), describing the high-altitude fruit tree. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as chirimoya. Quechua 'cold seeds', since the tree grows in cool Andean highlands. It reached English by 1750s as cherimoya. Reached English through reports of the French scientific expedition to Peru led by Pierre Bouguer and La Condamine in the 1730s and 1740s. Today, cherimoya means a sweet, custard-textured Andean fruit sometimes called the 'custard apple'.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s chirimuya "cold seeds", combined 'chiri' (cold) and 'muya' (seeds), describing the high-altitude fruit tree.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1600s chirimoya "a sweet, custard-like Andean fruit", Quechua 'cold seeds', since the tree grows in cool Andean highlands.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1750s cherimoya "a sweet, custard-textured Andean fruit", reached English through reports of the French scientific expedition to Peru led by Pierre Bouguer and La Condamine in the 1730s and 1740s.