Curio
Today

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.

More words

From Proto-West Germanic

Nearby, A–Z

All words A–Z →