Note E146 — 34.
Reading edition
"Apricot;" in Shakspere, and in other writers of that century, apricock; in older writers abricot and abrecocke; from L. præcoqua or præcocia = early, from the fruit having been considered to be an early peach. A passage in Pliny (Hist. Nat. xv. 12) explains its name: "Post autumnum maturescunt Persica, æstate præcocia, intra xxx annos reperta." Martial also refers to it in the following words:
"Vilia materius fueramus praecoqua ramis, Nunc in adoptivis persica cara sumus." —Liber xiii. Ep. 46.
The English, although they take their word from the French, at first restored the k, and afterwards adopted the French termination, apricot.—See a paper on the word in N.& Q. for November 23, 1850. "I account the White peare-plum stocks the best to Inoculate Aprecock buds upon, although they may be done upon other Plum-stocks with good successe, if they be good juycie stocks, able to give a good nourishment, for Aprecock trees require much nourishment."—Austen's Treatise on Fruit Trees, 1657, p. 57. Cotgrave (Fr. Dict.) gives, "Abricot: m. The Abricot, or Apricocke plum." Minsheu (Span. Dict. 1599) has, "Albarcoque, or Alvarcoque, m. an apricocke." Compare Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. 1. 169: "Feed him with apricocks and dewberries"; and Rich. II. Act iii. sc. 4, 29: "Go bind you up yon dangling apricocks."