Connie
Unfortunately, I don't know what "Preiselbeeren" are in English, but I can
tell you how they are classified, so you might be able to look them up in
a guidebook about botany (or ask in sci.bio.botany):
In systematical botany (based upon the work of Linne), "Preiselbeeren"
are called "vaccinium vitis-idaea". They belong to the group "vaccinium"
of the family "monotropaceae"; other berries of the same group are
"Heidelbeeren" (also called "Blaubeeren") ("vaccinium myrtillus"),
"Moorbeeren" ("vaccinium uliginosum") and "Moosbeeren" ("vaccinium
oxycoccos").
In French, "Preiselbeeren" are called "airelles rouges"; maybe you can
find out in a French-Canadian encyclopedia if they exist in northern
America.
Hope this helps ...
Jens W. Heckmann
gcm> Does anyone happen to know what Preiselbeeren are in English and
gcm> if they are even found in the United States or Canada?
gcm> [dictionary says:] "cranberries, bilberries, whortleberries".
gcm> Cranberries they are NOT;
Aren't they? That's the same etymon as in German "Kronsbeere",
which is another word for "Preiselbeere", Vaccinium vitis-idaea,
and of Low German origin. It denotes an evergreen variety of
heath (Ericaceae), and is related to the whortleberry or blue-
berry shrub ("Heidelbeere, Blaubeere", Vaccinium myrtillus).
gcm> bilberries they are not
gcm> unless there is a different kind of bilberry than the ones in Ontario
gcm> where I grew up. I have no idea what a "whortleberry" is.
AFAIK bilberries aren't found in Europe. Maybe someone from the
UK can comment on the BE names of the plants in question.
gcm> Cranberries are native to North America as far as
gcm> I know and I wonder if Preiselbeeren are native only to Europe or ...?
*My* dictionary says about cranberry: ...the bright red sour berry
of any of several trailing plants related to the blueberry.
Sounds certainly like "Preiselbeere" to me.
Hope this helps
(and that I didn't got it wrong, botanically),
--Thorsten
[posted and mailed]
: gcm> Does anyone happen to know what Preiselbeeren are in English and
: gcm> if they are even found in the United States or Canada?
: gcm> [dictionary says:] "cranberries, bilberries, whortleberries".
: gcm> Cranberries they are NOT;
: Aren't they? That's the same etymon as in German "Kronsbeere",
: which is another word for "Preiselbeere", Vaccinium vitis-idaea,
: and of Low German origin. It denotes an evergreen variety of
: heath (Ericaceae), and is related to the whortleberry or blue-
: berry shrub ("Heidelbeere, Blaubeere", Vaccinium myrtillus).
I have always believed Preiselbeeren were cranberries. Interesting that
the stronger the vehemence of an assertion ("NOT" in this case) the less
the likelihood of any supporting evidence being supplied.
: gcm> bilberries they are not
: gcm> unless there is a different kind of bilberry than the ones in Ontario
: gcm> where I grew up. I have no idea what a "whortleberry" is.
: AFAIK bilberries aren't found in Europe. Maybe someone from the
: UK can comment on the BE names of the plants in question.
Amazing. Bilberries are very common in Europe, particularly in Germany,
where they are known as Heidelbeeren. Blueberries are the North American
equivalent, somewhat larger, but taste almost identical.
: gcm> Cranberries are native to North America as far as
: gcm> I know and
I wonder if Preiselbeeren are native only to Europe or ...?
: *My* dictionary says about cranberry: ...the bright red sour berry
: of any of several trailing plants related to the blueberry.
: Sounds certainly like "Preiselbeere" to me.
The reference to cranberries growing on trailing plants makes me wonder
whether there is a difference between N.American cranberries and European
Preiselbeeren like the blueberry/bilberry difference. Cranberries in
N.America grow floating on water, at least they do in the cranberry bogs
of New England I've visited.
: Hope this helps : (and that I didn't got it wrong, botanically),
: --Thorsten
--
Martin Murray :: School of Chemistry, Bristol University, BS8 1TS, England
In article <4oa5aj$3...@aglaia.snafu.DE>, kae...@aglaia.snafu.de says...
>
>gcm> Cranberries are native to North America as far as
>gcm> I know and I wonder if Preiselbeeren are native only to Europe or ...?
>
>*My* dictionary says about cranberry: ...the bright red sour berry
>of any of several trailing plants related to the blueberry.
>
>Sounds certainly like "Preiselbeere" to me.
>
I just talked to my wide and she says that cranberries are the US
equivalent to Preisselbeeren. Since we moved here to Phoenix, she
uses cranberries whenever a recipe requires Preisselbeeren.
Best regards,
Juergen Reinold
System Architect
Windows NT System Engineering
Motorola Computer Group Email: juergen...@mcg.mot.com
2900 South Diablo Way Tel : +1 (602) 438-3078
Tempe, Az 85282, USA Fax : +1 (602) 438-6154
Mail drop: DW220 Pager: +1 (800) SKY-PAGE Pin# 585-6207
+1 (601) 960-9560 Pin# 585-6207
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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Cranberries are definitely different from "Preiselbeeren". About
5 years ago, I visited Ocean Spray's 'Cranberry world' visitors
center in Plymouth, Ma., and the berries they process there are
no "Preiselbeeren".
However, I don't know what they understand by "cranberry" in
Great Britain; this may not be the same thing as what the
Americans understand by it. The meaning of such a word can
change when people move to a new place where the thing itself
doesn't exist, and the word may then be used for something
similar instead.
Therefore, rather use 'vaccinium vitis-idaea' as a starting
point.
Jens W. Heckmann
>
> Cranberries are definitely different from "Preiselbeeren". About
> 5 years ago, I visited Ocean Spray's 'Cranberry world' visitors
> center in Plymouth, Ma., and the berries they process there are
> no "Preiselbeeren".
>
> However, I don't know what they understand by "cranberry" in
> Great Britain; this may not be the same thing as what the
> Americans understand by it. The meaning of such a word can
> change when people move to a new place where the thing itself
> doesn't exist, and the word may then be used for something
> similar instead.
>
> Therefore, rather use 'vaccinium vitis-idaea' as a starting
> point.
>
> Jens W. Heckmann
>
Jens, I agree with you. My problem was to explain to American
friends what they had eaten with their "Gebackenes Camembert" in Germany.
There is no point in telling them that they had eaten
cranberries--Preiselbeeren are obviously related but they certainly do
not taste the same, or grow the same. So, I guess there is no real answer.
I was just curious enough to post the query. Thanks to all.
Connie (mari...@uiuc.edu)
hjw> Am 26. Mai 1996 schrieb kae...@aglaia.snafu.de (Thorsten Meinecke):
> > gcm> Cranberries they are NOT;
> > Aren't they? That's the same etymon as in German "Kronsbeere",
> > which is another word for "Preiselbeere", Vaccinium vitis-idaea,
> > and of Low German origin.
hjw> Cranberries are definitely different from "Preiselbeeren".
I thought we had already established that this sentence should read:
_North American_ cranberries are different from "Preiselbeeren".
hjw> However, I don't know what they understand by "cranberry" in
hjw> Great Britain; this may not be the same thing as what the
hjw> Americans understand by it. The meaning of such a word can
hjw> change when people move to a new place where the thing itself
hjw> doesn't exist, and the word may then be used for something
hjw> similar instead.
Yep. That might have been the way how this very word came from
the dwelling grounds of the continental anglo-saxons to the British
islands, where it still means the European cranberry. After being
transplanted to America, the word obtained a new meaning, since
there was no such plant, only a similar one.
hjw> Therefore, rather use 'vaccinium vitis-idaea' as a starting
hjw> point.
The results of a search for the botanical term on Alta Vista deepen
the confusion considerably: Lingonberry, Cowberry, Mountain cranberry,
Lingberry, Rock cranberry, Foxberry, Whimberry, Partridgeberry. (BTW
there are even nurseries who offer V. vitis-idaea to the American
gardener).
Another bit of trivia: While the etymology of cranberry is obviously
connected to that of the bird's name, the German "Preiselbeere" is
said to stem from Slavic origins -- from Old Slavic "obrusiti", to
tear off, because the ripe berries are easily stripped from the shrubs.
If anyone needs to know: the Czech say "brusinky" for "Preiselbeeren",
and the plant's name in Poland is "Bórowka brusznica".
Hope this confuses^H^H^H^H^Hhelps,
--Thorsten