Harvest Was the Old English Word for Autumn
The harvest is the gathering of crops. Before autumn arrived from French, harvest was simply the name of the season.
The harvest is the cutting and gathering of ripened crops, and the crop itself. The word used to name the season. Old English had *hærfest* where we now say autumn or fall; when *autumn* arrived from French, harvest kept the work and lost the calendar.
- The gathering of crops. *The harvest begins in August.*
- The crop gathered. *A poor harvest.*
- To gather crops or resources. *Harvest rainwater.*
- A result of past actions. *A harvest of resentment.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | harvest | A record harvest. |
| Verb | harvest | Harvest the wheat. |
| Past | harvested | Harvested by hand. |
| Person | harvester | A combine harvester. |
| Compound | harvest moon | The harvest moon. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Rain delayed the harvest by a fortnight.The operation.
- This year's harvest was the best in a decade.The crop itself.
- The app harvests data from your contacts.A modern and usually critical use.
Harvest words
- Reap — to cut a grain crop
- Thresh — to separate grain from straw
- Winnow — to blow away the chaff
- Combine harvester — cuts, threshes and cleans in one pass
- Harvest moon — the full moon nearest the autumn equinox
From Old English *hærfest*, autumn, related to German *Herbst*, which still means autumn. The Latin cousin *carpere*, to pluck, gives us *carpe diem*.
Why is the harvest moon special?
Around the autumn equinox the moon rises soon after sunset for several nights running, giving farmers extra light to work by.
Is *harvest data* correct English?
It is established, if unflattering. It suggests taking something that grew without the taker's effort.