In Japanese, 林檎 (りんご, ringo) is the everyday word for 'apple' - and the stage name of singer Shiina Ringo 椎名林檎. In Chinese, 林檎 specifically refers to a small crabapple-style fruit; the modern 'apple' is 苹果.
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Read literally as 'forest poultry-bird 檎' - Tang sources explain that the fruit's sweetness 'lured forest birds to gather', supposedly giving the tree its name.
