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One Fruit, Two Words

In Germany, it’s an Aprikose.
In Austria, it’s a Marille.
Same fruit — two completely different sounds, stories, and smiles.

Why the Difference?

  • Aprikose comes from Latin praecoquum → “early ripening.”
    Borrowed through French and used in standard German.
  • Marille comes from an older Italian form armellino — the version that stayed in southern regions and Austria.

So both names traveled through Europe — and simply stopped in different places.

What Austrians and Germans Hear

In Austria, Marille sounds warm, local, and deeply connected to culinary tradition.
Think Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings) — a national classic.

In Germany, Aprikose is standard — neutral, not emotional.

If you say Marille in Berlin, you sound Austrian or poetic.
If you say Aprikose in Vienna, you sound northern — or from TV.

Mini Dialogues

In Germany:
— Ich liebe Aprikosenmarmelade!
— Wirklich? Ich auch, am liebsten mit Pfannkuchen.

In Austria:
— Marillenmarmelade ist die beste!
— Freilich, nix geht über Marillenknödel.

Cross-Language Echoes

  • English: apricot (from Latin through Arabic al-barqūq).
  • French: abricot — same as German Aprikose.
  • Italian: albicocca — the source of both forms.
  • Hungarian: sárgabarack — literally “yellow plum.”

Beyond Fruits

Every regional difference — Paradeiser, Erdapfel, Marille —
is not just about food, but about identity and belonging.
It’s the taste of home, the rhythm of how people really speak.

Conclusion

Whether you say Marille or Aprikose, you’re naming the same fruit —
but also showing where you come from.
In Austria, words are like flavors — sweet, local, and personal.

So next time you eat an apricot, remember:
Language can be just as delicious. 🍑

🔗 Related articles

Series: Regional German
👤 Author: Tymur Levitin — founder, director & lead teacher, Levitin Language School
© Tymur Levitin, Levitin Language School