The Fruit and the Calendar Date Are Different Words
A date is a point in time, and also a sweet fruit. The two arrived in English by entirely separate routes.
A date is a particular day, and also the sweet fruit of the date palm. The calendar sense comes from Latin *data*, meaning given: Roman letters ended with *data* followed by the place and day, meaning given at such a place on such a day, and the first word became the name for the whole thing. The fruit is Greek *daktylos*, a finger, for its shape. The romantic sense of *date* is American, from the 1890s.
- A calendar day. *Today's date.*
- A sweet fruit. *Dried dates.*
- A social engagement. *A dinner date.*
- Out of date — no longer current. *Out of date.*
- Latin — *data*, given. *The calendar sense.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | date | A date. |
| Plural | dates | Dates. |
| Verb | date | Dated. |
| Adjective | dated | Dated. |
| Greek | daktylos | A finger. |
- Check the date on the label.Calendar.
- A bowl of dates and nuts.Fruit.
- They went on a date.Social.
Words from the closing of a letter
- Date — from *data*, given at a place on a day
- Postscript — written after the main text
- Yours sincerely — from a formula of honesty
- Regards — from looking upon someone with favour
- Envelope — from French *envelopper*, to wrap up
The calendar sense is Latin *data*, given. The fruit is Greek *daktylos*, a finger, through Latin and French.
Are the fruit and the calendar date related?
No. The calendar sense comes from Latin data, meaning given. The fruit comes from Greek daktylos, a finger, for its shape.
How old is date meaning a romantic meeting?
It is American, recorded from the 1890s, from the idea of an appointment fixed for a particular day.