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社區樹 - 枇杷 Loquat in the Estate

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行入漁灣邨,見到一棵枇杷樹結滿果實。究竟有沒有人去摘呢?不過奉勸一句,不摘為妙。一屬於公共財物,二是估計灑滿農藥,只有兩三隻麻雀飛上去試幾啖。

因為葉形似琵琶,故改名同音的『枇杷』。有趣的是英文Loquat源自廣東話『蘆橘』,相信是因為宋代文豪蘇軾被貶南方時,在詩中將『蘆橘』和『枇杷』劃上等號,廣為流傳,甚至傳到海外。明代李時珍等人糾正『蘆橘』實為未成熟的金橘。(可參考最下面的資料)

而一些雀鳥如『琵鷺』和『琵嘴鴨』也是因為喙部似琵琶而得名。看來琵琶對古人的生活非常重要,除了用來彈奏,也常用來命名呢?:)

 

**僅供參考 Reference 華人百科: https://goo.gl/lkKmXz Wikipedia-Loquat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat 《本草綱目》-《果之二》金橘: https://goo.gl/wO1XyI 《輟耕錄》卷26: https://goo.gl/oqA9yi

 

I find a loquat tree in Yue Wan Estate and fruits are hanging in clusters. Do you want to pick one and eat? Wait!I suspect that the whole tree has been sprayed with pesticides and tree sparrows have barely fed on them. Also, the tree is the public good and should be protected.


"Pipa" is a Chinese name of loquat because of the Chinese lute Pipa-shaped leaf. "Lo-gwat" is another Chinese name and its Cantonese pronunciation is the origin of "loquat". Some ancient scholars tried to clarify that "lo-gwat" actually refers to kumquat but not "pipa". However, the mistake in Su Shi's poems has been spread widely. Nowadays, some people still regard "lo-gwat" as "pipa".


The Pipa must be an important instrument for ancients. So the ancients always compare objects with the Pipa. For example, spoonbills and northern shovelers birds are named after their Pipa-like bills in Chinese.

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