Etymology and Other Names
The English name is derived from its Latin name sorbus by way of Old English syrfe; it is unrelated to the English verb "to serve". Other English names include Sorb or Sorb Tree; and Whitty Pear—"whitty" because the leaves are similar to Rowan (i.e. pinnate), and "pear" due to the nature of the fruit.
Read more about this topic: Sorbus Domestica
Famous quotes containing the words etymology and/or names:
“Semantically, taste is rich and confusing, its etymology as odd and interesting as that of “style.” But while style—deriving from the stylus or pointed rod which Roman scribes used to make marks on wax tablets—suggests activity, taste is more passive.... Etymologically, the word we use derives from the Old French, meaning touch or feel, a sense that is preserved in the current Italian word for a keyboard, tastiera.”
—Stephen Bayley, British historian, art critic. “Taste: The Story of an Idea,” Taste: The Secret Meaning of Things, Random House (1991)
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