Chicozapote
/ˌtʃiːkoʊzəˈpoʊteɪ/noun
A tropical American tree and its edible brown fruit, also called sapodilla.
Did you know?Chicozapote is a Nahuatl-derived name for the sapodilla, and the tree’s sticky latex was historically harvested as chicle, the original base of chewing gum.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian
Nahuatl
tzictli? / chicozapōtli
“A Mesoamerican name for the sapodilla tree or its fruit, likely built from indigenous botanical naming traditions.”
16th Century
Spanish
chicozapote
“Spanish adoption of the indigenous name for the fruit-bearing tree.”
18th-19th Century
Spanish/English
sapodilla
“A more widely used European name for the same tropical fruit tree and fruit.”
Modern English
English
chicozapote
“A regional or borrowed name for the sapodilla tree and fruit, especially in Mesoamerican contexts.”