citron (English)
Where does "citron" come from?
The English word 'citron' was borrowed from French 'citron', meaning 'lemon, lime'[1]. This French term traces back to the Latin 'citrus', denoting the 'citron tree, thuja'[1][2]. The Latin word likely traveled via Etruscan and is derived from Ancient Greek 'κέδρος', meaning 'cedar'[1][4]. The ultimate origins of the Greek term remain unknown, with some proposals suggesting a Mediterranean Pre-Greek borrowing or connections to ancient terms for cedar resin[3].
Open questions
- The derivation from Ancient Greek through Etruscan into Latin is considered probable rather than certain. [1] [4]
- The ultimate origin of the Ancient Greek source word is unknown, with only speculative links to Pre-Greek and Semitic terms. [3]
Full etymology tree
- citron (English), 'Of a greenish yellow colour.'
- borrowed citron (French), 'lemon'
- inherited citrus (Latin), 'thuja'
- derived (Etruscan)
- inherited κέδρος (kédros) (Ancient Greek), 'cedar (tree of genus Cedrus or Juniperus)'
- derived (Etruscan)
- inherited citrus (Latin), 'thuja'
- borrowed citron (French), 'lemon'
Ancestors
- citron (French)
- κέδρος (Ancient Greek)
Descendants and derived words
- citron melon (English)
- citron-throated toucan (English)
- fingered citron (English)
- pome-citron (English)
Sources
- citron (English) - Wiktionary
- citron (French) - Wiktionary
- κέδρος (kédros) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- citrus (Latin) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris