etymology of po-luo-mi as pineapple

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Sherlock
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Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:14 pm

etymology of po-luo-mi as pineapple

Post by Sherlock »

Po-luo-mi is a straight loanword for "paramita" in Chinese I know, but does anyone know how it came to mean pineapple? Because it was imported from India and grown in monasteries or something like that?

In Singapore we usually don't use po-luo-mi, although we have imported the po-luo-bao from Hong Kong. It seems to be more widely used in mainland China, what about Taiwan?
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Huifeng
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Re: etymology of po-luo-mi as pineapple

Post by Huifeng »

In Taiwan, both 波羅 and 波羅蜜 is this - otherwise known as "jack fruit" in English:

Image

See Wiki

I wonder if the 波羅蜜 for pineapple is because it kind of looks like a 波羅, but is sweet like 蜜? Just guessing here...
Otherwise, in Taiwan, a pineapple is 鳳梨 or 菠蘿 (with the grass on top).
Or, sounding as it does in Taiwanese, 翁來! Used as a well wishing for wealth.

~~ Huifeng
Sherlock
Posts: 1202
Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:14 pm

Re: etymology of po-luo-mi as pineapple

Post by Sherlock »

It's possible I misinterpreted it. I saw a street vendor shouting that she was selling bo-luo-mi while cutting a pineapple, I don't remember if she had jackfruits.
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