if an orange is called an orange why is a banana not called a yellow?

Answer 1

The word "orange" ultimately comes from Sanskrit narang. However, in Persian the word narang includes all the citrus fruits that are orange in color, including tangerines,mandarin, clementines, etc.

Some believe the word narang comes from the Tamil word 'naru'… meaning fragrant.

Others believe narangi derived its name from the combination of the Persian word anar (rust-color) and the word rang-i (color), eventually becoming became narangi for the name of the fruit and also for the color orange. The Iranian link below gives a lot more detail on this, if you are interested.

But oranges aren't always called oranges. In a number of languages, the fruit is not named for its color but is known as a "Chinese apple" (eg. Dutch Sinaasappel (China's apple)).

The word banana is of West African origin, possibly Wolof or Mandinka, and passed into English via Spanish or Portuguese. Remember this is only for the sweet versions of the fruit. The cooking version is a plaintain.

Answer 2

That's a bit daft, but if you want to talk fruit/vegetable colours then a carrot would be called a purple & not an orange, as they were that colour originally & a cauliflower would be called a white or a purple as they come in both colours, it would all be horribly confusing?!

Answer 3

I dont think whoever named the orange wanted to call it an orange. Maybe someone was just saying it is orange and everybody else thought he/she said it's an orange and the name stuck! (?)

Answer 4

cuz bananas arent always yellow (sometimes they are brown, and no, i dont mean rotten, its a diff type). BUT i dont think we would get confused cuz lemons are also yellow, since mangos, peaches, tangerines, and a bunch of other fruits are also orange, and we dont get those confused, do we?

Answer 5

both are roughly the same except when it comes to protein. MOST veggies include a good amount of protein; fresh fruit does not.

Answer 6

The word fruits has different meanings depending on context.

Answer 7

response to one of your answers - i work for a stationery company and there is a shade of paper called flash banana, and its yellow!!!!

Right, back to your question:- a black berry is called a blackberry yet a gooseberry is not called a green berry!!

Answer 8

It would have to be called a ' Green then yellow '

Answer 9

It is. You're confusing a yellow with a spongflarmble.

Answer 10

Then again, why is yellow not called "banana"?