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Where does the word "cherry" come from? It comes from Greek kerasos, passing through Old North French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "cherry" come from? It comes from Greek kerasos, passing through Old North French before entering English (1300s).
Cherry’s story begins in Greek: kerasos meant “cherry tree.” The cherry tree, traditionally linked with Kerasous (modern Giresun) on the Black Sea. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old North French as cerise. Norman French kept the hard 'k' sound that Parisian French softened. It reached English by 1300s as cherry. The final 's' was mistaken for a plural and dropped, leaving 'cherry'. Today, cherry means a small round red or black stone fruit.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kerasos "cherry tree", the cherry tree, traditionally linked with Kerasous (modern Giresun) on the Black Sea.
- Stage 2 · Old North French · medieval cerise "cherry", Norman French kept the hard 'k' sound that Parisian French softened.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s cherry "cherry", the final 's' was mistaken for a plural and dropped, leaving 'cherry'.