Why do the French call potatoes pomme de terre?

The French word for apple is pomme. Because of this history, the French word for “potato” is pomme de terre, which originally meant “fruit of the earth” — but now could be literally translated as “earth apple” or “ground apple”.

Why is potato called apple of the earth?

The word terre with a small t means dirt / ground. It is simply a reference to the fact that potatoes are edible – like apples, which was our most common fruit when we discovered potatoes – yet grow under the ground rather than on trees.

Is POM a potato or apple?

Pommes is the word for apples, and pommes de terre, or apples of the earth, are potatoes.

Where does pomme de terre come from?

From French pomme de terre potato from pomme + de + terre, probably after Dutch aardappel or German (regional, now chiefly southern) Erdapfel.

What is the meaning of Pomme in English?

eating apple; desert apple; apple; head.

How do you say apple of the earth in French?

The French “pomme de terre” referes to a potato but translates directly as “earth apple.” Same goes for the Dutch, Hebrew, Persian and Swiss German translation for “potatoes.”

Does pomme mean potato?

10/07/2015. “Pommes frites” — obviously French. If you’ve taken a French class, you know that the word “pomme” means “apple” and the word “frite” means fried. You see, the French word for potato is actually “pomme de terre,” or “fruit of the earth.”

What vegetables name in French means earth apple?

pomme de terre
Dates were called “finger apples.” An early word for a cucumber was one meaning “earth apple.” Similarly, “pomme” is French for apple, but “pomme de terre,” apple of the earth, means “potato.”

What is the meaning of the French word pomme de terre?

potato
noun. potato [noun] a type of plant with round underground stems (called tubers) which are used as a vegetable. fried potatoes. (Translation of pomme de terre from the PASSWORD French-English Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Where is pomme de terre?

Pomme de Terre Lake is located in southwest Missouri at the confluence of Lindley Creek and the Pomme de Terre River (for which it is named). The lake is located in southern Hickory and northern Polk counties, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Springfield.

What does “pommes frites” mean?

If you’ve taken a French class, you know that the word “pomme” means “apple” and the word “frite” means fried. So if you order “pommes frites” from a restaurant menu, will your server bring you a heaping plate of fried apples?

Why do the Dutch call potatoes ‘aardappel’?

Likewise the Dutch held on to the idea of the earth apple, calling the potato ‘aardappel’. And something of this sensibility would show through when, in the works of Vincent van Gogh, the potato found its highest artistic expression.

When were potatoes introduced to Europe?

The common potato had been cultivated in the Peruvian and Bolivian Altiplano from as far back as 8000 BC, and went on to become the staple food of the region throughout the period of the Inca Empire. By way of Spanish explorers returning from the Andes, it was introduced to Europe around the middle of the 16th century.

Why is a potato called a Patata in Spanish?

However, in Spain, ‘batata’ soon became conflated with ‘papa’ – the word in the Quechuan language, spoken in the Andes, for the common potato. The result was that in Spanish, the common potato came to be referred to as ‘patata’.