Akee Fruit
/ˈæk.i fruːt/noun
The edible fruit of the ackee tree, especially when fully ripened and properly prepared.
Did you know?Unripe or improperly opened ackee contains hypoglycin A, a toxin linked to Jamaican vomiting sickness, while properly ripened fruit is Jamaica’s national fruit.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient West Africa
Akan
akye fu
“The Akan name for the fruit later called ackee in English; its exact internal translation is uncertain.”
18th Century
English
ackee
“An English rendering of the West African name, used for the fruit introduced into the Caribbean.”
1793
English
ackee
“The fruit was transported from West Africa to Jamaica aboard Captain William Bligh’s ship, HMS Providence.”
18th Century
English
fruit
“A general term for the edible reproductive body of a plant, inherited through Old French from Latin fructus, “enjoyment, produce, harvest.””
Modern English
English
ackee fruit
“The common descriptive phrase for the edible fruit of Blighia sapida, particularly in Caribbean English.”