vineyard

Meaning

Noun

• A grape plantation, especially one used in the production of wine.

Origin

• Equivalent to vine + yard; from Middle English vyneȝerd (circa 1300), following earlier Old English wīnġeard ("wine yard, vine yard"), with vine (from Old French vigne ("vine, vineyard"), from Latin vīnea) replacing native Old English wīn ("wine, vine"). The earlier wīnġeard may have had the sense of “vine” already, with /w/ → /v/ facilitated by common v-/w- interchange. Compare Dutch wijngaard and German Weingarten alongside contracted Wingert. (gaard, Garten are cognate to English yard.)