Surinam Cherry
/ˌsʊrɪˈnæm ˈtʃɛri/noun
A tropical shrub or small tree, Eugenia uniflora, and its edible red to purple fruit.
Did you know?Surinam cherry is also called pitanga, from a Tupi-related South American name, while its botanical name means “one-flowered Eugenia.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European South America
Indigenous American languages
Suriname
“The source is uncertain; the name was recorded for the region and river now called Suriname.”
16th–17th Century
Dutch
Suriname
“The Dutch colonial name for the South American region and colony.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kerasos
“Cherry; an ancient word probably associated with the fruit or its place of origin in Anatolia.”
Late Latin
Latin
ceresia
“Cherry.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
cherise
“Cherry; the final s was later reinterpreted as plural and removed in English.”
16th Century
English
cherry
“The fruit or tree, borrowed from Anglo-French or Old French cherise.”
Modern English
English
Surinam cherry
“The tropical fruit and plant named for Suriname and its superficial resemblance to a cherry.”
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