• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “harvest” originate and What does harvest mean?

Where does the word “harvest” originate and What does harvest mean?

June 1, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Old English word from which this was derived, haerfest, had the same source and original meaning as the present German word herbst.

Its meaning, that is, was the season in which crops were ripe. It was the name of the season, the third quarter of the year, the season now known by the later name, “autumn.”

That original English sense has now almost passed out of use, and now harvest usually covers, not only such crops as ripen in autumn, but also those that may be gathered at other seasons, such as fruit and vegetables that may ripen in the spring.

Related Facts

  • Who were the Wild Rice People and How did Native Americans harvest wild rice?
  • Why is the harvest moon brighter than other full moons in other seasons?
  • What does the word mugwump mean and Where does the word "mugwump" originate?
  • What Does the Word "Restaurant" Mean In French and How Did the Word For Dining Room Originate?
  • What Does the Word "Gymnasium" Mean in Greek and How Did the Word "Stadium" Originate?
  • How Did the Word "Tip" Originate and What Does the Word For a Gratuity Mean In German?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How did the fork get its name and Where does the word “fork” come from?
Next Post: Where does the word “fortnight” come from and What does fortnight mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy