scuppernong

English

WOTD – 1 July 2012

Muscadines (red, small) and scuppernongs (green, large) in a bowl.

Etymology

Named after the Scuppernong River and Lake in North Carolina near which the grapes were first found and cultivated. Probably from an Algonquian word. Both senses, "grape" and "wine", are first found in documents from the 1800s-1820s.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈskʌpənɒŋ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈskʌ.pəɹˌnɔŋ/, /ˈskʌ.pəɹˌnɑŋ/
• Hyphenation: scup‧per‧nong

Noun

scuppernong (plural scuppernongs)

1. A large greenish-bronze grape native to the Southeastern United States, a variety of the muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia).
2. A sweet, golden or amber-colored US wine made from this variety of grape.

Usage notes

• A great many alternative forms and pronunciations of this word are found. The most common, attested since the 1820s-40s, is scuppernon / scuppanon /ˈskʌp.əɹ.ˌnɔn/, /ˈskʌp.ə.ˌnɔn/. Scupperdine / scuppadine is also encountered; this is properly the name of a scuppernong-muscadine cross.