SIMURG
cross
EN
n.
The result of breeding a new variety by crossing two vine varieties of the same species, usually the European vinifera species. (1)
Crossings are produced to obtain new vine varieties which have disease and virus resistance. Successful new crossings are in general few. The main problems of producing new varieties by cross-breeding are the uncertainty of the outcome and the very long time taken to produce meaningful results. (2)
Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, was first grown in South Africa in 1924. (3)
[krɒs] (4)
crossing (1)
O.E. cros (mid-10c.), from O.Ir. cros, probably via Scandinavian, from L. crux (acc. crucem, gen. crucis) "stake, cross" on which criminals were impaled or hanged, hence, figuratively, "torture, trouble, misery;" originally a tall, round pole; possibly of Phoenician origin. Replaced O.E. rood. As a verb, from c.1200, "make the sign of a cross;" sense of "to go across" is from c.1400; that of "to cancel by drawing lines over" is from mid-15c. Also from L. crux are It. croce, Fr. croix, Sp., Port. cruz, Du. kruis, Ger. Kreuz. (5)
Università degli Studi di Genova, Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere, Corso di Laurea in Teorie e Tecniche della Mediazione Interlinguistica
Viviana Ghiglione
1. Robinson J., The Oxford Companion to WINE, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1994, p. 303;
2. Skelton S., Viticulture - An introduction to commercial grape growing for wine production, Lulu Publishing, 2007, p. 14-15;
3. Henderson J. P., Rex D., About wine, Delmar Cengage Learning, 2011, p. 524;
4. http://www.wordreference.com/definition/cross (7/10/2011);
5. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cross (7/10/2011).