Jujube
/ˈdʒuː.dʒuːb/noun
A small sweet fruit of the jujube tree, or a candy made in its shape or flavor.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a Semitic source that passed through Arabic, Persian, Greek, and Latin before reaching English, showing how trade routes can preserve words like magic charms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Semitic
Semitic
*zizfum / *zizafun (reconstructed)
“A thorny fruit tree or its fruit”
Arabic
Arabic
zizafun
“The jujube fruit or tree”
Medieval Persian
Persian
zayzafun
“Jujube fruit”
Medieval Greek
Greek
zizýphon
“Jujube fruit”
Late Latin
Latin
ziziphum
“Jujube fruit”
Middle English
English
jujube
“The jujube fruit or a sweetmeat flavored with it”