# Pearmain > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pearmain > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pearmain.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearmain > Source revision: 1319402322 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Apple cultivar A specimen of 'White Winter Pearmain', collected in [Umatilla County](/source/Umatilla_County), [Oregon](/source/Oregon) A **pearmain**, also formerly spelled "permain", is a type of [apple](/source/Apple). The name may once have been applied to a particular variety of apple that kept well, although in more modern times its inclusion in varietal names, like the term 'Pippin', is "largely decoration"[1] rather than indicating any shared qualities. The original 'Pearmain' variety has not been conclusively identified and may now be extinct. ## Etymology and history There has been some debate over the origin of the name "pearmain". The [pomologist](/source/Pomologist) [Robert Hogg](/source/Robert_Hogg_(biologist)) suggested that it originated in mediaeval times from *pyrus magnus*, "great [pear](/source/Pear)", and referred to a type of apple having a large pear-like shape.[2] Hogg believed that the variety 'Winter Pearmain' was both "the original of all the Pearmains"[2] and the oldest recorded variety of apple in England, with evidence it was cultivated in [Norfolk](/source/Norfolk) in c.1200.[2] Other sources suggest that the name "pearmain" was in fact originally used for a type of pear, and was first applied to apples only during the 16th century.[3] It has been suggested the word was derived from [Old French](/source/Old_French) *pearmain* and possibly ultimately from [Latin](/source/Latin) *parmensia* "of [Parma](/source/Parma)",[3] though the latter is probably [folk etymology](/source/Folk_etymology). The third and most likely derivation, by the [philologist](/source/Philologist) [Ernest Weekley](/source/Ernest_Weekley), also suggests the term was originally applied to pears, but that it came from [Middle English](/source/Middle_English) *parmain*, *permain*, derived from Old French *parmaindre* "to endure", and referred to the long keeping qualities of some varieties.[4] Rejecting the etymology from *parmensia*, Weekley noted that 17th-century references to a "pompire" or "pyramalum" (i.e. an "apple-pear") suggested that the original 'Pearmain' apple was named for some quality associated with the pearmain pear; i.e. hardness and long keeping ability.[5] ## 'Pearmain' cultivars Shape: C = Conical, Ob = Oblong, Ov = Ovate, R = Round, COb = Conical oblong, ROv = Roundish ovate, ROb = Roundish oblate, ObOv = Oblongovate **Pearmain apple cultivars from England**[6] - [Adams Pearmain](/source/Adams_Pearmain) (syn. Norfolk Pippin) - Augustus Pearmain C - Balchin's Pearmain - Baxters Pearmain ROv - Benwell's Pearmain C - Bristol Pearmain - Cherry Pearmain R - Christmas Pearmain - [Claygate Pearmain](/source/Claygate_Pearmain) - Federal Pearmain R - Foulden Pearmain (syn. Horrex's Pearmain) Ov - Golden Pearmain (syn. Ruckman's Pearmain) C - Golden Winter Pearmain (syn. King of the Pippins) C - Grange's Pearmain (syn. Granges Pippin) - Hormead Pearmain (syn. Arundel Pearmain, Hormead Pippin) R - Hubbard's Pearmain (syn. Russet Pearmain, Golden Vining, Hammon's Permain) - Kilkenny Pearmain - King Charles Pearmain - Lamb Abbey Pearmain - [Laxton's Pearmain](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laxton%27s_Pearmain&action=edit&redlink=1) - London Pearmain - Mannington's Pearmain - Mickleham Pearmain ROv - [Old Pearmain](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_Pearmain&action=edit&redlink=1) - Oxnead Pearmain (syn. Earl of Yarmouth's Pearmain) C - Parrys Pearmain Ov - Ribston Pearmain ROb - Royal Pearmain (syn. Herefordshire Pearmain, Hertfodshire Pearmain) - Rushock Pearmain C - Russet Table Pearmain ObOv - Scarlet Pearmain(syn. Bell's Scarlet Pearmain Hood's Seedling, Oxford Peach) C - Summer Pearmain, (syn. Autumn Pearmain) C - Tibbett's Pearmain C - Vale Mascal Pearmain R - Wickham's Pearmain (syn. Week Pearmain) - Winter Pearmain C - [Worcester Pearmain](/source/Worcester_Pearmain) C **Of uncertain origin** - Barcelona Pearmain (syn. Speckled Pearmain, Polinia Pearmain) Ov **Pearmain apple cultivars from America**[7][8] - American Summer Pearmain (syn. Early Summer Pearmain) R - Blue Pearmain[9] - Canon Peramain Ob - Clark's Pearmain C - Cluster Pearmain - Dan Pearmain R - Large Striped Pearmain R - Long Island Peamain Ob - Red Winter Pearmain - Russet Pearmain - Sweet Pearmain - [White Winter Pearmain](/source/White_Winter_Pearmain) C - Winthrop Pearmain **Pearmain cultivars from Germany** - Henzens Parmäne C - Maibiers Parmäne - Schwarzenbachs Parmäne COb - Strawalds Neue Goldparmäne ## Present status of 'Old Pearmain' variety There have been many efforts to identify the original 'Pearmain' apple, of supposedly mediaeval origin. Hogg suggested the 'Winter Pearmain' to be the original, and synonymous with the 'Old Pearmain', though S. A. Beach, in his work *Apples of New York*, noted that "several different varieties" had been propagated in America and England under the name 'Winter Pearmain' and that in many descriptions "it is impossible to determine which Winter Pearmain the writer had in mind".[10] By contrast, Hogg believed the apple identified in some catalogues of the time as 'Old Pearmain' to in fact be a variety called 'Royal Pearmain'.[11] Hogg later claimed to have identified the "true Old Pearmain" growing in the [Dymock](/source/Dymock) area.[12] The current 'Old Pearmain' in the [National Fruit Collection](/source/National_Fruit_Collection) was received in 1924 from a Mr. Kelsey in [Surrey](/source/Surrey), but is probably neither Hogg's variety nor the ancient 'Pearmain'.[13] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-smith40_1-0)** Smith, A. W. (1963) *A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins*, p.40 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hogg209_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hogg209_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-hogg209_2-2) Hogg, R. (1851) *British Pomology*, London: Groombridge, p.209 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ayto400_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ayto400_3-1) Ayto (2012) *The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink*, OUP, p.400 1. **[^](#cite_ref-weekley1057_4-0)** Weekley (1921) *An etymological dictionary of modern English*, v2, p.1057 1. **[^](#cite_ref-weekley82_5-0)** Weekley (1926) *Words Ancient and Modern*, J. Murray, p.82 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Robert Hogg, *The Fruit Manual*, 1875 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Warder, *American Pomology* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Downing, *Fruits and Fruit-Trees of America*, 1885 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Blue Pearmain apple"](http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/blue-pearmain). Orange Pippin. Retrieved 19 June 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-beach379_10-0)** Beach, S. A. (1905) *The Apples of New York*, v2, p.379 1. **[^](#cite_ref-hogg175_11-0)** Hogg (1851), p.175 1. **[^](#cite_ref-hogg169_12-0)** Hogg (1884) *The Fruit Manual*, p.169 1. **[^](#cite_ref-morgan248_13-0)** Morgan and Richards (2002) *The New Book of Apples*, Ebury, p.248 v t e Apples List of apple cultivars Species Malus domestica Malus niedzwetzkyana Malus sieversii Table apples Adams Pearmain Aia Ilu Airlie Red Flesh Akane Åkerö Alkmene Allington Pippin Ambrosia Anna Annurca Aport Ariane Arkansas Black Ashmead's Kernel Aurora Golden Gala Autumn Bough Autumn Glory Baldwin Beacon Beauty of Bath Belle de Boskoop Bellflower Ben Davis Birgit Bonnier Braeburn Brina Cameo Champion Civni (Rubens) Claygate Pearmain Clivia Cornish Aromatic Cornish Gilliflower Cortland Cosmic Crisp Court Pendu Plat Cox's Orange Pippin Crimson Gold Cripps Red Cripps Pink (Pink Lady) Delbard Jubilée Delbarestivale Delrouval Devonshire Quarrenden Discovery Dorsett Golden Dougherty Duchess of Oldenburg Dumelow's Seedling Egremont Russet Ellison's Orange Elstar Empire Enterprise Envy Esopus Spitzenburg Eva EverCrisp Fiesta Filippa Flamenco Florina Fuji Gala Gascoyne's Scarlet Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg Ginger Gold Golden Delicious Golden Orange Goldspur Granny Smith Gravenstein Grimes Golden Haralson Hokuto Honeycrisp Honeygold Idared Ingrid Marie James Grieve Jazz Jersey Black Jonadel Jonagold Jonathan Jubilee Julieta Jupiter Kanzi Karmijn de Sonnaville Kidd's Orange Red King of the Pippins Knobby Russet Lady Alice Laxton's Superb Liberty Liveland Raspberry Lodi Lord Lambourne Lucombe's Seedling Macoun McIntosh Melba Melrose Mutsu Newtown Pippin Nicola Opal Sciros (Pacific Rose) Pam's Delight Papirovka Paula Red Pink Pearl Pinova Prima Pristine Rajka Ralls Janet Rambo Rave Red Astrachan Red Delicious Red Pineapple Redlove apples Rhode Island Greening Ribston Pippin Roxbury Russet Sandow Sansa Sekai Ichi Spartan Splendour Star of Devon Stayman Sturmer Pippin SugarBee Summerfree Sundowner Sunflare Sunset Suntan SweeTango Taliaferro Tartu Rose Tentation Tompkins King Topaz Tsugaru Wealthy Winesap Winston Worcester Pearmain Wyken Pippin York Imperial Zestar Cooking apples Antonovka Bismarck Blenheim Orange Bramley Calville Blanc d'hiver Campanino Cellini Chelmsford Wonder Costard Creston Crimson Bramley Flower of Kent Golden Noble Granny Smith Grenadier King Byerd Manks Codlin Newton Wonder Norfolk Biffin Northern Spy Reinette du Canada Rome Upton Pyne White Transparent Wolf River Cider apples Brown Snout Cap of Liberty Chisel Jersey Coccagee Crimson King Dabinett Dufflin Ellis Bitter Foxwhelp Golden Russet Golden Spire Hangdown Harrison Cider Kingston Black Major Michelin Poveshon Redstreak Slack-ma-Girdle Styre Tom Putt Woodcock Yarlington Mill Ornamental apple Flamenco Goldspur Wijcik McIntosh Apple products Food Apfelküchle Apple butter Apple cake Apple cheese Apple chip Apple cider vinegar Apple crisp Apple dumpling Apple flour Apple pie Apple sauce Apple seed oil Apple strudel Apples and honey Baked apple Brown Betty Candy apple Caramel apple Eve's pudding Himmel und Erde Jewish apple cake Pectin Drink Apfelwein Apple cider Apple juice Applejack Calvados Cider Ice cider Pommeau Agriculture Apple picking Apple scab Applecrab Arctic Apples Fruit tree pruning Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae Johnny Appleseed Malling series Malus Pearmain Pollination Pome PRI disease resistant apple breeding program Reinette Russeting USApple Association Lists Countries by apple production Apple diseases Notable individual apples Apple of Discord Apples in mythology Forbidden fruit Golden apple Isaac Newton's apple tree Apples Cultivars Production --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pearmain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearmain) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearmain?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.