Tracing the origins of the term “apricot”

The apricot, with its juicy flesh and sweet, fragrant flavor, is one of the most beloved and popular fruits all over the world. But what are the origins of the term “apricot”? To find out, we must take a journey through the intricate ways of history, following the traces of the words and cultures that influenced its birth.

The earliest evidence of apricot cultivation dates back millennia, particularly in the mountainous regions of Central Asia. In fact, the Latin term defined the fruit as “armeniacum malum,” or “Armenian apple.” This designation is a testament to how the first traces of apricots came to Europe via Armenia. Apricots were in fact known in that area long before they spread to the European continent, and it was Arab traders who introduced them to southern Europe in the Middle Ages via Spain. The Latin term “armeniacum” was later adopted in scientific parlance to designate the genus and species of apricots, while the common name “apricot” entered the Italian lexicon, as well as other European languages, through Arabic influence. In fact, the Arabic word for apricot is “al-burquq” (البرقوق) and it is therefore very evident how the Italian term is a linguistic borrowing from Arabic. The Arabic influence can also be seen in the Spanish term “albaricoque,” where the phonetic similarity is even closer to the Arabic original.

In other European languages, however, apricots have received names that recall the physical characteristics of the fruit or its geographical origin. For example, in English, “apricot” is used, which may derive from the Latin “praecox,” meaning “early,” referring to the early flowering of the apricot tree. In German, on the other hand, the name “Aprikose” could be related to the Greek “praikokion,” meaning an apricot-like plant.

This is how, through trade and cultural exchange, the word “apricot” spread throughout the European continent, taking different forms in local languages, but maintaining a link to its Asian origins.