λωτός (as fruit)

English translation: persimmon

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Greek term or phrase:	λωτός (as fruit)
English translation:	persimmon
Entered by:	Angeliki Papadopoulou

09:29 Apr 1, 2008

Greek to English translations [Non-PRO]
Food & Drink / Fruit

Greek term or phrase: λωτός (as fruit)

Hi,

I don't know if it’s dialect, but according to my understanding λωτός has always been used to mean the beautiful eastern flower a bit like a waterlily. Even in Homer, it is described as ἄνθινον εἶδαρ i.e. flowery food, so presumably food consisting of flowers.

However, I've just remembered that when I was in Greece λωτός was used of a fruit, either a persimmon or something like that.

I'll be most grateful for any help on clearing up the mystery of what that fruit could have been.

All the best,

Simon

SeiTT KudoZ activity Questions: 3738 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (9 closed without grading) Answers: 1 United Kingdom
Local time: 23:00

persimmon

Explanation:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.all-creatu...

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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-04-01 14:16:41 GMT)
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Simon, both names can be used to describe the fruit, however, persimmon is probably better suited for culinary texts, to my mind

/www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persimmon

http://www.tonytantillo.com/fruits/persimmons.html

Selected response from:

Angeliki Papadopoulou
Greece
Local time: 01:00

Grading comment

many thanks excellent
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +8

lotus

Antonia Keratsa

5 +5

persimmon

Angeliki Papadopoulou

5 +4

not for points

maria ef

Answers

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

lotus

Explanation:
.

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Note added at 17 mins (2008-04-01 09:46:51 GMT)
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Lotus (NOUN):
1.Greek Mythology
a. A small Mediterranean tree or shrub whose fruit was eaten by the lotus-eaters.
b. The fruit of this plant.

2. An aquatic plant (Nelumbo nucifera) native to southern Asia and Australia, having large leaves, fragrant, pinkish flowers, a broad, rounded, perforated seedpod, and fleshy rhizomes.
3. The edible seed, leaf, or rhizome of this plant.
4. Any of several similar or related plants, such as the water lilies Nymphaea caerula or N. lotus.
5. A representation of any of various lotuses or similar plants in Egyptian or classical sculpture, architecture, or art.
6. Any of several leguminous plants of the genus Lotus.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dicti...

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Note added at 20 mins (2008-04-01 09:49:47 GMT)
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In Greek mythology this fruit that was supposed to induce a dreamy languor and forgetfulness.

Antonia Keratsa
Greece
Local time: 01:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Greek

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

persimmon

Angeliki Papadopoulou
Greece
Local time: 01:00
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Greek,

English
PRO pts in category: 24

Grading comment

many thanks excellent

4 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

not for points

Explanation:
Το γράφω ως απάντηση για να μπει στο γλωσσάρι και γιατί δεν ξέρω που να το γράψω.

Ο λωτός στα αγγλικά λέγεται persimmon. (Persimmon is a fruit of a number of species of trees of the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family (Ebenaceae), and the edible fruit borne by them. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon)

Η επιστημονική του ονομασία είναι Λωτός ή διόσπυρος ο σινικός ή κακί στα ελληνικά, Diospyros στα αγγλικά. Ένα από τα πολλά είδη του φυτού είναι το Diospyros lotus (και από κει φαντάζομαι ξεκινάει η παρανόηση).

Αυτό είναι το φυτό που όλοι αναγνωρίζουμε στην ελλάδα ως Λωτό.

Lotus είναι το νούφαρο.

Σύμφωνα με το free online dictionary:

1.a. An aquatic plant (Nelumbo nucifera) native to southern Asia and Australia, having large leaves, fragrant, pinkish flowers, a broad, rounded, perforated seedpod, and fleshy rhizomes.
b. The edible seed, leaf, or rhizome of this plant.
c. Any of several similar or related plants, such as the water lilies Nymphaea caerula or N. lotus.
2. A representation of any of various lotuses or similar plants in Egyptian or classical sculpture, architecture, or art.
3. Any of several leguminous plants of the genus Lotus.
4. Greek Mythology
a. A small Mediterranean tree or shrub whose fruit was eaten by the lotus-eaters.
b. The fruit of this plant.

και σύμφωνα με το magenta:

ουσ. (το φυτό:) νυμφαία, νούφαρο # μτφ. λωτός (καρπός που όταν τρώγεται οδηγεί σε ολέθρια μακαριότητα)

Μία από τις έννοιες της λέξης lotus ειναι πράγματι το δέντρο με τα φρούτα που έτρωγαν οι λωτοφάγοι αλλά δεν αναφέρεται σε κανένα πραγματικό δέντρο, χρησιμοποιείται μεταφορικά και κανείς δεν έχει καταλήξει μέχρι σήμερα στο ακριβές φυτό που εννοούσε ο Όμηρος. Υπάρχουν αρκετοί υποψήφιοι..

Βλ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_tree
και http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotophagi#Which_.22lotus.22_did...

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Note added at 5 hrs (2008-04-01 15:02:41 GMT)
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Λωτός in greek is the name for the trees of the genus Diospyros, commonly known as persimmon in english. One of the species is named Diospyros Lotus, and that, perhaps, causes the misunderstanding in greek...

Lotus is the aquatic eastern flower you know, but it also means the 'small Mediterranean tree or shrub whose fruit was eaten by the lotus-eaters' (see definition above). So Lotus is also used to describe a fruit, but the fruit eaten by the lotus-eaters. It is used metaphorically to describe a fruit that when eaten induces a dreamy forgetfulness and an unwillingness to depart, and the exact tree that Homer meant is still not known for sure. There exist many candidates...
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotophagi#Which_.22lotus.22_did...

maria ef
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Greek

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λωτός (as fruit)

English translation: persimmon

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English translation: persimmon

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