appelsin (Danish)
Where does "appelsin" come from?
The Danish word 'appelsin' is a loanword that entered the language in the late 17th century, likely from Dutch or German Low German. It functions as a literal translation of the French term 'pomme de Sine,' which describes the fruit as an 'apple from China.' Ultimately, this reflects the historical fascination with the origins of the imported orange, naming it after the distant land from which it was brought to Europe.
Full etymology tree
- appelsin (Danish), 'An orange, a fruit from the tree Citrus sinensis.'
- learned borrowing appelsien (Dutch), 'orange (fruit)'
- compound appel (Dutch), 'apple (Malus domestica, fruit or tree)'
- inherited *applu (Proto-West Germanic), 'fruit'
- inherited *aplaz (Proto-Germanic), 'apple, fruit'
- inherited *h₂ébōl (Proto-Indo-European), 'apple'
- inherited *aplaz (Proto-Germanic), 'apple, fruit'
- inherited *applu (Proto-West Germanic), 'fruit'
- compound Sina (Dutch), 'obsolete form of China'
- inherited Sīna (Latin), 'synonym of Sinae, China (a country in East Asia)'
- compound appel (Dutch), 'apple (Malus domestica, fruit or tree)'
- learned borrowing Appelsin (German Low German)
- learned borrowing appelsien (Dutch), 'orange (fruit)'
Ancestors
- appelsien (Dutch)
Cognates and doublets
- Apfelsine (German)
Descendants and derived words
- appelsinjuice (Danish)
- appelsiina (Greenlandic)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris