Etymologically
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olive

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɒ.lɪv/, /ˈɑ.lɪv/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Old French olive (“olive, olive tree”) or directly Latin olīva,[2][3][4] from Greek *elaíwā, a dialect form of ἐλαία (elaía, “olive tree, olive”),[3][2][5] related to élaion, oil (see oil),[4][6] probably from an Aegean source, perhaps Cretan, like Armenian ewł, oil.[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The olive tree: about 1200.[2][7][3]

Semantic evolution

The fruit is from 1398 (the late 14th century).[7][2] The olive branch, a branch of the tree, is from before 1325, in the Cursor Mundi, and as a token of peace or goodwill from before 1338,[3] alluding to the olive leaf the dove brought back to Noah's ark.[2][6] Word Origins also notes olive crowns given to winners at the Greek Olympic Games, and olive garlands worn by brides.[6] A child is a sense of 1803.[7] The colour of the unripe olive is from the 17th century, and the adjective, yellowish-green, from 1657.[2][3] Olive oil is from the 1540s in Etymonline and 1774 in Barnhart, replacing oil of olive.[2][3][7]

Timeline

  • c. 1200 – the tree.[2]
  • before 1338 – olive branch as a peace token.[3]
  • 1398 – the fruit.[7]
  • 1540s – olive oil.[2]
  • 1657 – olive green.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An evergreen tree of the Mediterranean (Olea europaea) with leathery leaves and small oval fruit.
  2. The fruit of this tree, eaten as food and pressed for oil.
  3. A yellowish-green colour.
  4. The wood of the olive tree.

Adjective

  1. Of a yellowish-green colour.

Word family

  • olivaceous
  • black olive
  • olive-backed thrush
  • olive branch
  • olive drab
  • olive green
  • olive oil
  • queen olive
  • oil
  • oleaster
  • olivewood
  • olivine
  • oleaginous

Usage notes

In Essex dialect an olive was the oyster-catcher.[8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)