Ribes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of flowering plants that includes currants and gooseberries, known for their edible fruits and ornamental value
2. Referring to shrubs bearing sour berries commonly used in jams and desserts, often characterized by lobed leaves
3. An important horticultural group that provides both culinary ingredients and aesthetic appeal in gardens, recognized for their diverse species

Etymology: "Ribes" is the Latin name for a plant that Arabic speakers had already named before Europeans adopted it. The Arabic "rībās" referred to a sour fruit, probably rhubarb, and the word passed into medieval Latin and then into botanical Latin as a label for currant-like shrubs. Linnaeus formalised "Ribes" as a genus name in the eighteenth century, which is why the scientific name for currants and gooseberries sounds so different from the everyday English words for them. The surprise is that the genus name was borrowed for a sour fruit before it settled on currants. Medieval writers used Arabic-derived terms for tart plants, and the sense drifted as botanists sorted similar species into groups. Today "ribes" covers the currants and gooseberries, while the everyday English "currant" comes from a different source entirely, a corruption of "Corinth" via Old French "raisins de Corinthe", referring to dried grapes.

Synonyms: currants, gooseberries