pippinn.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman pepin, pepine, popin and Middle French pepin (French pépin ) seed or pip of a fleshy fruit (c1175 in Old French), seedling apple tree (early 13th cent. in Old French; now regional (Normandy)), of uncertain origin: probably ultimately a derivative of an expressive Romance base meaning ‘small’ (see Französisches etymol. Wörterbuch at pep-); compare Spanish pepita seed, kernel (see pepita n.), and perhaps Italian regional (Tuscany) pippo, pippolo grain, seed, kernel. Compare ( < French) post-classical Latin pipina (12th cent. in a British source), Middle Dutch pippinc, puppinc (Dutch pipping, †pupping), Middle Low German pippinc.Connection with classical Latin pepō pepon n. is unlikely. With form pepion compare French pépion (c1660; now regional); with form pupping perhaps compare early modern Dutch pupping (see above). In sense 1c after Spanish pepita pepita n. (compare French pépin , in the same sense (1617)). With sense 3a perhaps compare the following example of uncertain meaning:c1450 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 562/1 Acumen [perh. read Acrumen, i.e. a crab- apple], anglice, a popyn. It is unclear whether the following early example (in sense 1) is to be interpreted as Middle English or Anglo-Norman:1348–9 in J. T. Fowler Extracts Acct. Rolls Abbey of Durham (1899) II. 549 In duabus libr. de Resyns sanz pepyn empt. apud Ebor., 2 s. 3 d. It is possible that earlier currency could be shown by a surname (Steph. Pypin (1297)), although this could reflect the Anglo-Norman rather than the Middle English word, and it is anyway perhaps more likely to show a pet form of the male forename Philip.