Is Tomato fruit or vegetable? New development!!?

Question

I collected over 100 answers from all over the world. I got answers from Yahoo Germany, Spain, France, Italy and U.S. The outcome is really surprising for me. I'll tell you about it later. Here is the result.

[Tomato is fruit]
United States
United Kingdom
France
China
Australia
South Africa
Russia
Mexico
Cuba

[Tomato is vegetable]
Germany
Spain
Italy
Roumania
Indnasia
Philipin
Japan

Did you notice it? I got shivered when I found it.
This resembles Alied Powers versus Axis Powers in WWII.
Why? I still can't find answer. It had got more reasonable if it was West versus East because it's recent. But why WWII? It's over fifty years ago and why does tomato relate to the war? Why Tomato??

I appreciate your comments. No offence please.

Answer 1

The problem with this whole debate is that something can be BOTH "fruit" and "vegetable" at the same time!

These two terms are not opposites, nor fully complementary (not like "boy or girl" "short or tall"). They can OVERLAP. It's also helpful to note that both words can be used in more than one sense, AND that the meanings and uses have changed a bit through the centuries. So, consider the following:

FRUIT

English frequently uses fruit as a BOTANICAL category related to its DEVELOPMENT from plant ovaries (hence bearing seeds) or flowers, and that's what we are usually taught about in science classes. So, according to this definition, a tomato is indeed a "fruit".

But, in fact, "fruit" ORIGINALLY was used more broadly and could include things we now call "vegetables" (without debate!)

Note the following about the word's history:

"1175, from O.Fr. fruit, from L. fructus 'fruit, produce, profit,' from frug-, stem of frui 'to use, enjoy'. Older sense preserved in 'fruits of one's labor'. Originally in Eng. meaning vegetables as well. Modern narrower sense is from c.1225. "
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=fruit

Indeed the word STILL has various uses (which is why the dictionary entries go beyond #1 !)


VEGETABLE

Now just stop and look at dictionary definitions for "vegetable" (which many who make the *strongest* pronouncements about this question do not seem to do!)

Example from 'dictionary.com'
"any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, as the tomato, bean, beet, potato, onion, asparagus, spinach, or cauliflower"

(Other definitions on the page are similar -- basically, "PLANT [or part of a plant] used as/cultivated for FOOD")


More important than that, look down the page at the American Heritage Dictionary "usage note". It points out EARLIER uses of the word, e.g., simply to mean "plant" (as we still see when people begin "20 Questions" with "Is it animal, vegetable or mineral?), and concludes:
"It is not until the 18th century that we find the noun and adjective used more restrictively to refer specifically to certain kinds of plants that are eaten."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vegetable

________________________________

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

There's another piece involved that may help explain your "findings" that the word history's noted above may suggest You are working across LANGUAGE lines. And even parallel words in closely related language often are not used in PRECISELY the same way. So, for example, German "Frucht" --though clearly related to English "fruit" and have roughly the same basic meaning-- is not identical. And even if they BEGAN the same way, they didn't necessarily end up DEVELOPING the same way. Since the question "Is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable?" is based on LATER meanings of the words, it isn't surprising to find the WORD distinctions are not necessarily the same even in related languages.

Of course, we don't even know how many answered or how representative your samples were. (You say "over 100", then list 16 countries, i.e., an average of about seven per country... not much of a sample size!) It would take a carefully controlled study to figure that out.

But if the results DID then turn out as you describe, I would look first to a different set of distinctions in the NATIVE words people use to group plants.

Answer 2

The tomato is a fruit. There is NO connection between your poll and World War Two. Coincidence, maybe, but NO connection.

Chow!!

Answer 3

I think it's just a coincidence. Tomatoes are fruits, technically, but you can find a lot of people (anywhere in the world... including those on the "fruit" list... US, UK, etc.) who will tell you it's a vegetable.

I really don't think the vegetable vs. fruit tomato conspiracy has anything to do with WWII. ;)

Answer 4

what an interesting coorilation. i'de have to say education as in the school system, or simpler yet word of mouth from generation to generation. i think it goes farther back then ww2. check out some trade routes from ancient to modern times. see who trading partners were, you'll find a lot of similarities to your tomato question. oh yeah you can add canada to the fruit list. both my mom and grade school taught me that a tomato was a fruit.

Answer 5

Interesting. However, the tomato is a fruit, becuase the seeds are on the inside.

Answer 6

The tomato is a fruit. The seeds are in the inside.
The tomato/war theory is bunk.

Answer 7

Scientifically, the tomato is a fruit. Practically, many people use it as a veggie.

Answer 8

WOW!!! That's very interesting!!! I've always been told that the tomato is a fruit!!!

~SweetS~

Answer 9

like both, fruits: berries, pears, pears, peaches, dragonfruit, pomegranate.... Vegetables: CUCUMBERS, bok choy, green beans, broccoli,.... We guess the two are great.

Answer 10

Fruits grow on trees, veggies in the ground on vines.