gingko
UK[ˈɡɪŋkəʊ]US[ˈɡɪŋkoʊ]
n
A deciduous tree with fan-shaped leaves and yellow flowers, native to China, also known as the maidenhair tree.
n
The nut or extract from this tree, used in food and traditional medicine.
Etymology
The word 'gingko' entered English in the 18th century from Japanese, where 'ginkyō' was the pronunciation for the Chinese-derived characters for this tree. The Japanese term itself originated from the Chinese 'yínxìng,' a compound meaning "silver apricot," a vivid description of the tree's pale, fruit-like seed. This etymological path reflects the tree's cultural journey from China to Japan and then to the West. The modern English spelling 'gingko' (with an alternative 'ginkgo') resulted from an early transcription error, which then became standardized.
Analysis
The word 'gingko' is a simplex loanword. Its spelling is a romanization of the Japanese reading 'ginkyō' of the Chinese characters 銀杏, meaning "silver apricot," referring to the tree's fruit.
Examples
The ancient gingko tree in the temple courtyard turned a brilliant yellow in the autumn.
Gingko biloba extract is a popular dietary supplement believed to aid memory.
They collected the foul-smelling fruits that had fallen from the female gingko.