Blaeberry

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbleɪb(ə)ɹi/

Definitions

1. A type of wild berry similar to blueberries, known for its dark blue to purple color and sweet flavor
2. A small edible fruit from shrubs, commonly found in forests, that resembles and tastes like a blueberry
3. A juicy, round fruit often used in jams and desserts, typically harvested from low-growing plants in the wild

Etymology: Blaeberry is a Scottish and northern English name for the bilberry, and its name is a plain compound: "blae", a Scots word meaning bluish-grey, joined to "berry". The first part is the telling one. Scots "blae" describes the dusky, pale-blue bloom that covers the fruit, so the name records the colour of the fruit's skin rather than its flavour or where it grows. The word descends from Middle English "bloberi", and it is a piecewise doublet of "blueberry". Both names built the same idea from the same colour word, with "blue" taking the place of the older Scots "blae" in the standard English that spread southward. The two forms went their separate ways, with blaeberry remaining a regional word in Scotland and the north of England.