The word ‘bramble’ comes from Old English ‘bremel’, meaning thornbush. Discover its Germanic roots in Dutch ‘braam’ and German ‘Brombeere’, with parallels in French ‘ronce’, Italian ‘rovo’, Spanish ‘zarza’, Celtic ‘sméar’, and Greek ‘βάτος’.

Freshly picked blackberries in early August tell a simple story in English — a black berry — but the word’s roots run deep. Across Europe, languages link the fruit to brambles, bears, or mulberries. Discover the etymology of ‘blackberry’ from Old English blæcberie to Latin morum and beyond.