The Latin word for banana comes from the Greek word "mousa"

[henh...@gmail.com]

( i hope most of these are True and Correct)

In Latin, a banana is called a "musa". This is the same word that is used in many other languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.

The Latin word for banana comes from the Greek word "mousa", which means "muse". This is because the banana tree was sacred to the Muses, the Greek goddesses of art and literature.


Apple: malum

Orange: aurantium

Pear: pera

Grape: uva

Watermelon: citrullus



In Japan, a tomato is called a "Chinese eggplant" (ナス, nasu). ???

In France, a cucumber is called a "cucamelon" (concombre cornichon).

In Germany, a zucchini is called a "courgette".

In Italy, a pineapple is called an "ananas".

In Spain, a potato is called a "patata".


______________________________
Chinese apple is a name used for several fruits : Citrus × sinensis (orange) is referred to as Chinese apple in Dutch, sinaasappel or appelsien,
and sometimes German, Apfelsine,
Swedish apelsin,
Finnish appelsiini and
Danish and Norwegian appelsin, and
Icelandic appelsína', and
Lithuanian apelsinas.


Mandarin oranges have always been considered as a traditional symbol of good fortune. This is mainly because the word orange, when spoken in mandarin, sounds similar to the word “wealth”. The orange hue of the fruit is also said to symbolise “gold”, which makes it a very auspicious fruit.

[Ed Cryer]

Where the devil did you come up with that load of rubbish? Musa?
Maybe the scientific term is "Musa acuminata".

The Spanish for "banana" is "plátano"; or "banana" across the Atlantic.
I can't find it in Italian or Portuguese, nor in several Latin
dictionaries I've consulted.

I think the culprit is Google Translate. That gives "musa"; and then
several webpages have used it.

You'll have to support your case with some example from an authenticated
Latin text.

Ed

[henh...@gmail.com]

(sorry... bard.google.com is fast, but not too truthful or accurate) -- (it sounds very confident all the time)

BANANAS: The Latin word for the banana is Musa.

How do you say banana in Greece?
"banana" in Greek
μπανάνα
μπανανιά

https://bard.google.com/

A single banana is about 25 cents today in the USA. According to the World Bank, the average price of bananas in the United States in July 2023 was 1.55 USD per kilogram. This is equivalent to about 25 cents per banana.

https://bard.google.com/

Were bananas very expensive (earlier) in the USA, UK, Japan, Europe?

Yes, bananas used to be very expensive in the USA, UK, Japan, and Europe. In the early 1900s, a single banana could cost as much as 10 cents, which is equivalent to about $1.50 today. This was because bananas were a tropical fruit that had to be imported from far away, and the shipping costs were high.

The introduction of refrigerated shipping in the 1920s helped to make bananas more affordable. However, they still remained a luxury item for most people.

It wasn't until the 1960s that bananas became widely available and affordable.

Here are some specific examples of how expensive bananas used to be:

In 1900, a single banana cost 10 cents in the United States.
In 1930, a single banana cost 5 cents in the United Kingdom.
In 1940, a single banana cost 3 cents in Japan.
In 1950, a single banana cost 2 cents in Europe.


Today, bananas are a relatively inexpensive fruit. In the United States, a single banana typically costs about 50 cents.

In the UK, a single banana typically costs about 30 pence. In Japan, a single banana typically costs about ¥100. In Europe, a single banana typically costs about €0.50.

The decline in the price of bananas is due to a number of factors, including the development of more efficient shipping methods, the expansion of banana cultivation, and the increasing demand for bananas.

[Ed Cryer]

I'll back that from the UK.
I love bananas. I mix them with all kinds of other food on my plate;
baguette sandwiches, ice cream, even Curiously Cinnamon cereal.
Yes, ok. They're abundant today. I choose them over apples and pears,
oranges and grapefruit.

They're transported in refrigeration.

But we're talking here about Latin.
Did the ancient Romans have bananas?
What did they call them?
How much did they cost in the markets?

And, most of all, how would anyone have recognised "Musa" from "musa"?

If you said "I've got a bunch of musas here", the guy in the street
might have wondered "Which of the nine is it? Calliope, Thalia, Euterpe?"

Even if you move to the mediaeval times, where are these European
bananas? And how did the Latin writers name them?

I think Portuguese sailors first brought bananas to Europe in the
fifteenth century. They came from west Africa, and they must have been
harvested very green to survive the trip and remain edible.
And I'll bet they sold for a fortune in the markets, as had previously
silks from China and contemporary spices from the east Indies.

Ed