pomme (English)

Where does "pomme" come from?

The English word "pomme," borrowed directly from French, traces its roots back to the Latin word "poma," the plural form of "pomum" meaning apple or fruit. The Latin term itself evolved from Proto-Italic *poomos, which comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂po-h₁ém-os, meaning "taken off," reflecting the idea of fruit being picked or taken from a tree. This lineage illustrates a fascinating journey from ancient linguistic roots to the modern French word for apple, which English adopted as a borrowing. Interestingly, "pomme" is a doublet of the English word "pome," sharing the same origin but arriving through slightly different linguistic paths.

Full etymology tree

• pomme (English), 'A roundel vert (green circular spot), resembling or representing an apple.'
  • borrowed from pomme (French), 'apple (fruit)'
    • inherited from pomme (French), 'apple (fruit)'

Direct ancestors

• pomme (French)
• poma (Latin)
• pome (English)

Updated February 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris