Apples from the Earth

@SophieY (891)
South Africa
February 6, 2017 1:55am CST
While reading an article the other day, I came upon the phrase "apples from the earth" which refers to a potato! I have never read this phrase before and now my vocabulary will definitely extend to use the "apples from the earth" beautifully descriptive meaning of potato more often! ANYTHING said in French sounds like icecream on the lips, so why not potatoes as well: The French "pomme de terre" refers to a "potato" but translates directly as "earth apple." Did you know that the same goes for the Haitian Creole, Dutch, Hebrew, Persian and Swiss German translation for "potatoes." ? How very interesting Erdäpfel would roughly translate to "earth apple" Event though I am love all paintings by Vincent van Gogh, I find this one by Jules Bastien-Lepage (1878) oil on canvas, shows the potato with greater affection!
7 people like this
11 responses
M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
10 Feb 17
Collecting potatoes behind a harvesting machine (the ones which the machine hadn't grabbed) was one of my first jobs when I was still a pupil. I bought a pair of jeans with the money.
2 people like this
M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
28 Feb 17
@SophieY You're welcome. When you need info on an umlaut, give me a shout. :-)
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (206127)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Mar 17
What is your word for potato? I hadn't known was was apple of the earth in Swiss German!
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Sophie
@SophieY (891)
• South Africa
28 Feb 17
thanks for the ä advice - I fixed it
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (4171)
• Philippines
6 Feb 17
I would like to analyze that saying.... Hmm correct me if I am wrong. Maybe because all apples are came from a tree and the potato came from the soil. That is why apple from the earth. Apples signifies abundance, or sweet life. Maybe the author wants to tell us that sweet and abundance in life is not only from those above us but also from those under wealth of rich and famous.... That everyone comes from nothing until they endure toiling the ground until they have succeeded. God bless.... Just a thought that I want to share....
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Cristy
@magallon (19280)
• Philippines
6 Feb 17
I think you have said it right..
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luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (4171)
• Philippines
6 Feb 17
@magallon wow thank you. God bless
2 people like this
Cristy
@magallon (19280)
• Philippines
6 Feb 17
1 person likes this
Just an Ordinary Owl?
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
6 Feb 17
I suppose that not everyone from South Africa speaks Africaans otherwise you would doubtless have been familiar with 'aartappel'. I particularly like the French for 'baked potato' which is 'Pommes de terre en robe de champs' or 'potatoes in their field dress'. I am always rather fond of the 19th Century school of painters who show common things with an almost photographic quality yet achieving so much more than a photograph (even a more modern colour photo) ever can.
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Sophie
@SophieY (891)
• South Africa
28 Feb 17
Yip - its aartappel in Afrikaans - well done. The painting is one I like the most to share with this potato post
1 person likes this
M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
8 Feb 17
I love potatoes and wouldn't want to live in a country with a potato-free cuisine!
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The Horse
@TheHorse (206127)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Mar 17
I like them too, though I only cook with them on camp outs.
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Sophie
@SophieY (891)
• South Africa
28 Feb 17
I love potatoes too
Cristy
@magallon (19280)
• Philippines
6 Feb 17
That is a real good painting. Maybe they said that potatoes are apples from the Earth because when you peel the potatoes , they look like apples. And potatoes are dig from the soil or also termed by others as Earth.
2 people like this
Kokil agarwal
@amitkokiladitya (171936)
• Agra, India
6 Feb 17
Is that so...I heard it for the first time. Thanks for sharing
2 people like this
Inlemay
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
6 Feb 17
that is a beautiful painting and yes the French most curtaining know how to make a language sound like a love proposal
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (206127)
• Walnut Creek, California
14 Mar 17
I like the painting! I knew about the French and the Hebrew (tapua adama), but not the others.
Morley Hunt
@Morleyhunt (21736)
• Canada
6 Feb 17
My first language (spoken) was Dutch. I knew that an aardappel was a potato. This made the term pomes de terre easier to grasp whe we had to learn French in high school.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326063)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Feb 17
I remember 'pomme de terre' from my French lessons. It's a lovely painting.
1 person likes this
Faye
@FayeHazel (40246)
• United States
6 Feb 17
Lovely painting and I didn't know potato as "earth apple" lol
1 person likes this