plum
PLUHM · noun
Ancient GreekLatinProto-West GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish
Origin
English plum comes from Middle English plomme, from Old English plūme, from Proto-West Germanic *plūmā, which was borrowed from Latin prūnum, itself likely from an Anatolian source via Ancient Greek προῦμνον (proûmnon).
Journey
The word's shape shifted gradually as it passed through Germanic and English forms — from plūme to plomme to plum — while its meaning stayed put, always pointing to the same fruit.
Related words
Plum is a doublet of prune, meaning both words trace back to the same Latin ancestor, prūnum, but arrived in English by different paths.