why is fruit punch called fruit punch?

Question

Ok Its not like you punch the fruit to make it into juice so why is it called that?

Answer 1

Below are two derivations that are basically the same. The word comes from the Hindi word for "five" because that's the number of ingredients used in the original drink.

1. Punch \Punch\, n. [Hind. p[=a]nch five, Skr. pa?can. So called because composed of five ingredients, viz., sugar, arrack, spice, water, and lemon juice. See Five.]

A beverage composed of wine or distilled liquor, water (or milk), sugar, and the juice of lemon, with spice or mint; -- specifically named from the kind of spirit used; as rum punch, claret punch, champagne punch, etc.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

2. Punch (derived from Hindi word Panch meaning five) is a general term for any of a wide assortment of mixed drinks, either soft or alcoholic, often containing fruit or fruit juice. Punch is typically served at parties in large, wide bowls known as punchbowls.

Originally, the word punch was a loanword from Hindi. The original drink was made from five different ingredients, namely arrack (alcohol), sugar, lemon, water, and tea. Because of this it was named panch which is the Hindi for five. This name was adopted by the sailors of the British East India Company and brought back to England, from where it was introduced into other European countries.

Note: The British East India Company was chartered by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1599, which definitely pre-dates Victorian times. I know that punch was consumed during England's Georgian period, as I have done some (I'll admit, limited) research on the period.

Answer 2

When punch was first created it was during the Victorian era. They didn't own juicers, so what they would use is usually a great amount of strawberries and alot of sugar. They would put this in a device that would require you to literally punch the fruit with a rounded pestle to make it a more liquid consistency. The drink you got was called punch because that was how you made it. It was thicker that what we have now. Of course like alot of things what we have now is alot different that what they had then.

Answer 3

I always thought fruit punch, the kind in a punch bowl at a party, is called that because it usually has liquor in it which gives it some punch.

Answer 4

Main Entry: 4punch
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Hindi & Urdu pac five, from Sanskrit pañca; akin to Greek pente five; from its originally having five ingredients -- more at FIVE
: a hot or cold drink that is usually a combination of hard liquor, wine, or beer and nonalcoholic beverages; also : a drink that is a mixture of nonalcoholic beverages