Word Origin & History
date"fruit," late 13c., from O.Fr. date, from O.Prov. datil, from L. dactylus, from Gk. daktylos "date," orig. "finger, toe," because of fancied resemblance between oblong fruit of the date palm and human digits. Possibly from a Sem. source (cf. Heb. deqel, Aram. diqla, Arabic daqal "date palm") and assimilated
EXPANDto the Gk. word for "finger."
COLLAPSE