In this post, we will compare the English names, that include “-berry”, with the names in other languages. Surely, it will be berry interesting!
Berries are small, juicy, and colorful fruits that grow on various plants. The word comes from Proto-Germanic bazją. It is a problematic term to translate for several reasons: First, berry is just not an easily translatable term; currants, despite not having the ending -berry, are berries. Second, commonly, berries refer to a specific type of fruit like blueberries and cranberries. However, scientifically, a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. It does not include blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries but may include fruits, like grapes, bananas, or tomatoes, which people do not consider berries.
Berry
Blackberry
Blackberries are the fruits of various species within the Rubus genus. They hold intriguing associations with animals in some cultures. In English combines the words black and berry, because of its dark-colored drupelets. Similarly, in Slovak, they say černica, stemming from čierny, meaning “black.” In Kazakh, people know them as Қара бүлдірген, which translates to “black strawberry.”
Across various languages, blackberries are linked to animals. In the northern regions, they are commonly known as “Bearberries” (in English this name describes something different). Latvians associate them with goats, and Lithuanians connect them to cranes. Among Slavic people, there are two distinct perspectives: on the northern side the name derives from the word “hedgehog”, while the southern side comes, not from any animal, but from “hill”.
Let’s now explore the genuine dark aspects of this map. Romance languages have borrowed the term “morum” from Latin, signifying both “blackberry” and “mulberry” (as evident in the section below). Within this language group, there will arise instances where distinguishing between the two will be essential.
Mulberry
Blueberry
Raspberry
Strawberry
