Raspberry
/ˈræz.bər.i/noun
The edible fruit of a bramble in the genus Rubus, usually red, black, or golden.
Did you know?The first syllable may come from an old word for a rough, prickly place, which means the berry’s name likely began as a description of the plant’s thorny habitat, not its sweetness.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
raspis berie
“A raspberry, literally a berry associated with rasp-like roughness or a rough place.”
14th–15th Century
English
rasp
“A rough, coarse surface or a rough thicket; also to scrape or grate.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*raspon- / *raspō-
“A rough or scratchy surface; something coarse or jagged.”
Old French
Old French
raspe
“A rough surface; a rasp or scraper.”
Latin
Latin
raspa
“A rasp, scraping tool; something used to roughen or scrape.”