What's in a Name, Pineapple

Pine cones used to be called pineapples and pineapples got the name because they resembled pine cones.
Originally, the word pineapple in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now called pine cones).


When European explorers discovered the tropical fruit in the Americas, they called them pineapples, because they resembled pine cones (with the original name). Most European countries eventually adapted, and still use the name ananas, which came from the Tupi word nanas (also meaning pineapple).

Incidentally, The pineapple “fruit” is not really a fruit, but is a mass of individual berries fused to the central stalk. This is why the “fruit” has leaves on top. They are actually the continued growth of the stalk beyond where the berries are attached. Pineapples are not grown from seed.