In article ,
David Rance writes:
|
| So the damson is known here but the French appear to refer to it simply
| as a variety of plum. Having looked it up in Collins-Robert it is
| slightly more helpful, calling it a "prune de damas" (a Damascus plum -
| damson would appear to be a corruption of this).

Well, it IS just a variety of plum! And, yes, that's its origin.
The French terms that I find a a bit odd are where the same word
is used for two items that are used very differently - groseille
being an example.

| Yes, I suppose my damson trees are somewhat smaller than the plum trees
| with finer branches. Every year my plum trees fruit prolifically. This
| year, not one! We had early frosts here in the Suisse Normande.

And I had the most appalling aphids - no fruit :-(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.