Pearmain
A pearmain, also formerly spelled "permain", is a type of apple. The name may once have been applied to a particular variety of apple that kept well, although in more modern times its inclusion in varietal names was, like the term 'Pippin', "largely decoration"[1] rather than indicating any shared qualities.
The original 'Pearmain' variety has not been conclusively identified and may now be extinct.
Etymology and history
There has been some debate over the origin of the name "pearmain". The pomologist Robert Hogg suggested that it originated in mediaeval times from pyrus magnus, "great pear", and referred to a type of apple having a large pear-like shape.[2] Hogg believed that the variety 'Winter Pearmain' was both "the original of all the Pearmains"[2] and the oldest recorded variety of apple in England, with evidence it was cultivated in Norfolk in c.1200.[2]
Other sources suggest that the name "pearmain" was in fact originally used for a type of pear, and was first applied to apples only during the 16th century.[3] It has been suggested the word was derived from Old French pearmain and possibly ultimately from Latin parmensia "of Parma",[3] though the latter is probably folk etymology.
The third and most likely derivation, by the philologist Ernest Weekley, also suggests the term was originally applied to pears, but that it came from Middle English parmain, permain, derived from Old French parmaindre "to endure", and referred to the long keeping qualities of some varieties.[4] Rejecting the etymology from parmensia, Weekley noted that 17th-century references to a "pompire" or "pyramalum" (i.e. an "apple-pear") suggested that the original 'Pearmain' apple was named for some quality associated with the pearmain pear; i.e. hardness and long keeping ability.[5]
'Pearmain' cultivars
Shape: C = Conical, Ob = Oblong, Ov = Ovate, R = Round, COb = Conical oblong, ROv = Roundish ovate, ROb = Roundish oblate, ObOv = Oblongovate
Pearmain apple cultivars from England[6]
- Adams Pearmain (syn. Norfolk Pippin)
- Augustus Pearmain C
- Balchin's Pearmain
- Baxters Pearmain ROv
- Benwell's Pearmain C
- Bristol Pearmain
- Cherry Pearmain R
- Christmas Pearmain
- Claygate Pearmain
- Federal Pearmain R
- Foulden Pearmain (syn. Horrex's Pearmain) Ov
- Golden Pearmain (syn. Ruckman's Pearmain) C
- Golden Winter Pearmain (syn. King of the Pippins) C
- Grange's Pearmain (syn. Granges Pippin)
- Hormead Pearmain (syn. Arundel Pearmain, Hormead Pippin) R
- Hubbard's Pearmain (syn. Russet Pearmain, Golden Vining, Hammon's Permain)
- Kilkenny Pearmain
- King Charles Pearmain
- Lamb Abbey Pearmain
- Laxton's Pearmain
- London Pearmain
- Mannington's Pearmain
- Mickleham Pearmain ROv
- Old Pearmain
- Oxnead Pearmain (syn. Earl of Yarmouth's Pearmain) C
- Parrys Pearmain Ov
- Ribston Pearmain ROb
- Royal Pearmain (syn. Herefordshire Pearmain, Hertfodshire Pearmain)
- Rushock Pearmain C
- Russet Table Pearmain ObOv
- Scarlet Pearmain(syn. Bell's Scarlet Pearmain Hood's Seedling, Oxford Peach) C
- Summer Pearmain, (syn. Autumn Pearmain) C
- Tibbett's Pearmain C
- Vale Mascal Pearmain R
- Wickham's Pearmain (syn. Week Pearmain)
- Winter Pearmain C
- Worcester Pearmain C
Of uncertain origin
- Barcelona Pearmain (syn. Speckled Pearmain, Polinia Pearmain) Ov
Pearmain apple cultivars from America[7][8]
- American Summer Pearmain (syn. Early Summer Pearmain) R
- Blue Pearmain[9]
- Canon Peramain Ob
- Clark's Pearmain C
- Cluster Pearmain
- Dan Pearmain R
- Large Striped Pearmain R
- Long Island Peamain Ob
- Red Winter Pearmain
- Russet Pearmain
- Sweet Pearmain
- White Winter Pearmain C
- Winthrop Pearmain
Pearmain cultivars from Germany
- Henzens Parmäne C
- Maibiers Parmäne
- Schwarzenbachs Parmäne COb
- Strawalds Neue Goldparmäne
Present status of 'Old Pearmain' variety
There have been many efforts to identify the original 'Pearmain' apple, of supposedly mediaeval origin. Hogg suggested the 'Winter Pearmain' to be the original, and synonymous with the 'Old Pearmain', though S. A. Beach, in his work Apples of New York, noted that "several different varieties" had been propagated in America and England under the name 'Winter Pearmain' and that in many descriptions "it is impossible to determine which Winter Pearmain the writer had in mind".[10]
By contrast, Hogg believed the apple identified in some catalogues of the time as 'Old Pearmain' to in fact be a variety called 'Royal Pearmain'.[11] Hogg later claimed to have identified the "true Old Pearmain" growing in the Dymock area.[12] The current 'Old Pearmain' in the National Fruit Collection was received in 1924 from a Mr. Kelsey in Surrey, but is probably neither Hogg's variety nor the ancient 'Pearmain'.[13]
References
- ^ Smith, A. W. (1963) A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p.40
- ^ a b c Hogg, R. (1851) British Pomology, London: Groombridge, p.209
- ^ a b Ayto (2012) The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink, OUP, p.400
- ^ Weekley (1921) An etymological dictionary of modern English, v2, p.1057
- ^ Weekley (1926) Words Ancient and Modern, J. Murray, p.82
- ^ Robert Hogg, The Fruit Manual, 1875
- ^ Warder, American Pomology
- ^ Downing, Fruits and Fruit-Trees of Amarica, 1885
- ^ "Blue Pearmain apple". Orange Pippin. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ Beach, S. A. (1905) The Apples of New York, v2, p.379
- ^ Hogg (1851), p.175
- ^ Hogg (1884) The Fruit Manual, p.169
- ^ Morgan and Richards (2002) The New Book of Apples, Ebury, p.248
- v
- t
- e
- Malus domestica
- Malus niedzwetzkyana
- Malus sieversii
- Adams Pearmain
- Aia Ilu
- Airlie Red Flesh
- Akane
- Åkerö
- Alkmene
- Allington Pippin
- Ambrosia
- Anna
- Annurca
- Ariane
- Arkansas Black
- Ashmead's Kernel
- Aurora Golden Gala
- Autumn Bough
- Autumn Glory
- Baldwin
- Beacon
- Beauty of Bath
- Belle de Boskoop
- Bellflower
- Ben Davis
- Birgit Bonnier
- Braeburn
- Brina
- Cameo
- Champion
- Civni (Rubens)
- Claygate Pearmain
- Clivia
- Cornish Aromatic
- Cornish Gilliflower
- Cortland
- Cosmic Crisp
- Court Pendu Plat
- Cox's Orange Pippin
- Crimson Gold
- Cripps Red
- Cripps Pink (Pink Lady)
- Delbard Jubilée
- Delbarestivale
- Delrouval
- Devonshire Quarrenden
- Discovery
- Dorsett Golden
- Dougherty
- Duchess of Oldenburg
- Dumelow's Seedling
- Egremont Russet
- Ellison's Orange
- Elstar
- Empire
- Enterprise
- Envy
- Esopus Spitzenburg
- Eva
- EverCrisp
- Fiesta
- Filippa
- Flamenco
- Florina
- Fuji
- Gala
- Gascoyne's Scarlet
- Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg
- Ginger Gold
- Golden Delicious
- Golden Orange
- Goldspur
- Granny Smith
- Gravenstein
- Grimes Golden
- Haralson
- Hokuto
- Honeycrisp
- Honeygold
- Idared
- Ingrid Marie
- James Grieve
- Jazz
- Jersey Black
- Jonadel
- Jonagold
- Jonathan
- Jubilee
- Julieta
- Jupiter
- Kanzi
- Karmijn de Sonnaville
- King of the Pippins
- Knobby Russet
- Lady Alice
- Laxton's Superb
- Liberty
- Liveland Raspberry
- Lodi
- Lord Lambourne
- Lucombe's Seedling
- Macoun
- McIntosh
- Melba
- Melrose
- Mutsu
- Newtown Pippin
- Nicola
- Opal
- Sciros (Pacific Rose)
- Pam's Delight
- Papirovka
- Paula Red
- Pink Pearl
- Pinova
- Prima
- Pristine
- Rajka
- Ralls Janet
- Rambo
- Rave
- Red Astrachan
- Red Delicious
- Red Pineapple
- Redlove apples
- Rhode Island Greening
- Ribston Pippin
- Roxbury Russet
- Sandow
- Sansa
- Sekai Ichi
- Spartan
- Splendour
- Star of Devon
- Stayman
- Sturmer Pippin
- Summerfree
- Sundowner
- Sunset
- Suntan
- SweeTango
- Taliaferro
- Tartu Rose
- Tentation
- Tompkins King
- Topaz
- Wealthy
- Winesap
- Winston
- Worcester Pearmain
- Wyken Pippin
- York Imperial
- Zestar
- Antonovka
- Bismarck
- Blenheim Orange
- Bramley
- Calville Blanc d'hiver
- Campanino
- Chelmsford Wonder
- Costard
- Creston
- Crimson Bramley
- Flower of Kent
- Golden Noble
- Granny Smith
- Grenadier
- King Byerd
- Manks Codlin
- Newton Wonder
- Norfolk Biffin
- Northern Spy
- Reinette du Canada
- Rome
- Upton Pyne
- White Transparent
- Wolf River
- Brown Snout
- Cap of Liberty
- Chisel Jersey
- Coccagee
- Crimson King
- Dabinett
- Dufflin
- Ellis Bitter
- Foxwhelp
- Golden Russet
- Golden Spire
- Hangdown
- Harrison Cider
- Kingston Black
- Major
- Michelin
- Poveshon
- Redstreak
- Slack-ma-Girdle
- Styre
- Tom Putt
- Woodcock
- Yarlington Mill
- Flamenco
- Goldspur
- Wijcik McIntosh
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