pomme d'orenge (Old French)
Where does "pomme d'orenge" come from?
The term 'pomme d'orenge' emerged in Old French as a literal translation of the Italian 'melarancia,' which combined the words for apple and orange. This evolution was further shaped by the influence of the town of Orange and the Old Occitan word 'auranja,' itself derived from the Arabic 'nāranj.' Through these varied linguistic layers, the phrase eventually solidified the identity of the fruit known in English as the orange.
Full etymology tree
- pomme d'orenge (Old French), 'orange (fruit)'
- calque melarancia (Italian), 'sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (fruit)'
- compound mela (Italian), 'apple (fruit)'
- inherited mēla (Late Latin)
- inherited mēlum (Latin), 'apple'
- borrowed μῆλον (mêlon) (Ancient Greek), 'apple'
- inherited mēlum (Latin), 'apple'
- inherited mēla (Late Latin)
- compound narancia (Italian)
- inherited auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- borrowed نَارَنْج (nāranj) (Arabic), 'bitter orange (Citrus aurantium)'
- inherited auranja (Old Occitan), 'orange (fruit)'
- compound mela (Italian), 'apple (fruit)'
- calque melarancia (Italian), 'sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (fruit)'
Ancestors
- melarancia (Italian)
- auranja (Old Occitan)
Descendants and derived words
- orange (Old French)
- orenge (Old French)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris