prune

prune · noun, verb¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπροῦνον
2. Latin · derived fromprūnum
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*prūna
4. Old French · derived fromprune
5. Middle English · inherited fromprune
6. English todayprune

From Middle English prune, from Old French prune, from Vulgar Latin *prūna, feminine singular formed from the neutral plural of Latin prūnum, from Ancient Greek προῦνον (proûnon), variant of προῦμνον (proûmnon, “plum”), a loanword from a language of Asia Minor. Doublet of plum.

prune · verb²

1. Latin · derived frompropaginem
2. Latin · derived fromrotundo
3. Old French · derived fromproignier“to trim the feathers with the beak”
4. Middle English · inherited fromprunen
5. English todayprune

From Middle English prunen, prounen, proinen, from Old French proignier (“to trim the feathers with the beak”), earlier prooignier. Likely influenced by Middle French rogner, Old French rooignier (“cut, trim”) (from Latin rotundo?), and possibly by Old French provainier (“provine”) (Latin propaginem? whence French provigner). The relation to the noun is thus unclear.

Words from the same roots