The word "melocotón" means "peach" in Spanish and has an interesting etymology that can be traced back through several languages and cultures.
The word is derived from the Arabic term "muluqqatun" which itself is a modification of the Persian word "m?lu?" meaning "peach". The Arabic term was influenced by the Latin phrase "malum cotonium" where "malum" means "apple" and "cotonium" refers to "quince". This Latin influence reflects the practice of grafting peach trees onto quince rootstocks to improve their hardiness. Further back, the Latin term "malum cotonium" can be traced to the Greek word "kyd?nion" which means "quince."
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