gherkin English · revision 1264

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɡɜːkɪn/ ''(UK)''; /ˈɡɝkɪn/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|nl|gurken]], the plural of ''gurk'' “cucumber”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) short for ''augurk'', ''agurk'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) probably from a Slavic source such as [[pl|ogórek|t=cucumber]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) perhaps ultimately from Medieval Greek ''angoúrion''.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The ''h'' was added in the 19th century to keep the hard ''g''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A young green cucumber or small kind of cucumber used for pickling (1661 as ''girkin'').^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Etymonline notes that the Dutch ending may be the diminutive ''-kin'' or a plural ending mistaken for a singular in English.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) The word also names the West Indian gherkin (''Cucumis anguria''), a vine with small prickly fruits used for pickling.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1661 – ''girkin''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+ * 19th century – spelling with ''gh-''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small [[cucumber]], especially one used for pickling; also a small [[pickle]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A West Indian vine (''Cucumis anguria'') with small prickly fruits used for pickling, or its fruit.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[West Indian gherkin]]

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cucumber]]

+ * [[pickle]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}