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Loquat

2 stages from Cantonese to English.

Today it means a small, sweet-tart orange fruit borne by an evergreen tree originally native to China

Where does the word "loquat" come from? It comes from Cantonese lòuh gwāt, adopted directly into English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
lòuh gwāt
Cantonese · ancient
"a small, sweet orange fruit"
literally 'reed orange' or 'rush orange', an old name for the small orange fruit
2
Stage 2 of 2
loquat
English · 1800s
"a small, sweet-tart yellow-orange fruit"
borrowed by traders and botanists as the fruit tree was introduced to Western gardens
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