pommel

The story

1. Late Latin · derived frompōmum“apple”
2. Vulgar Latin · derived from*pomellum“ball, knob”
3. Medieval Latin · derived frompomellum
4. Old French · derived frompomel
5. Middle English · inherited frompomel
6. English todaypommel

From Middle English pomel, from Old French pomel and Medieval Latin pomellum, pumellum, presumedly via Vulgar Latin *pomellum (“ball, knob”), the diminutive of Late Latin pōmum (“apple”). Compare French pommeau, Spanish pomo, and Swedish pumla.