Well attestedNamed through a historical place-name
quince
noun · first attested 14th century
The fruit is named for a city in Crete.
A hard, fragrant fruit that needs cooking.
Record
- Relationship
- Named through a historical place-name
- Confidence
- Well attestedThe place link is the standard scholarly account.
- Attested
- 14th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Chania
- In English
quince
The Greek name for the fruit referred to Kydonia, now Chania. It travelled through Latin and French into English, losing the city on the way.
Greece
All 29 entries 28 more words from Greece
marathonThe long race is named for a plain in Attica.MarathoncurrantThe baking fruit is a worn-down word for Corinth.CorinthmagnetThe lodestone is named for Magnesia.MagnesiaacademyEvery academy is named for a grove outside Athens.AkademeialaconicA tight-lipped style is named for Sparta’s region.SpartaOlympicThe games are named for a sanctuary, not for Mount Olympus.OlympiaatticThe room under the roof is named for the region around Athens.AtticaBoeotianAn insult preserved from one Greek region's rivalry with another.Boeotia