The berry part of the word cranberry is quite evident, but have you ever wondered about the origin of the term cran? The term dates back to 1672 when it was used to describe the North American plant. Interestingly, it seems that the colonists were influenced by German naming conventions, as they named it after a similar plant in central Europe known as kraanbere in Low German. The kraan part of the name meant “crane” like the bird, possibly due to a perceived resemblance between the plant’s stamens and the beaks of cranes, although this is not certain. The term, which is related to the English word crane, originates from Proto-Germanic krano (continuing as “crane”) and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction gerh, meaning “to cry hoarsely”. The term bere, which is also linked to the English word berry, likely comes from Proto-Indo-European beh, meaning “shine” or “glisten”. It’s fascinating to note that Google Trends show a consistent peak in search frequency for cranberry every November, which is not surprising but still intriguing.
