The word marmalade is from Portuguese 'marmelo', meaning?
Keiller's marmalade thought to aid digestion, although the pith and much of the fiber was discarded. James and Janet Keiller were "not" a couple, but rather son and mother. James Keiller was single at the time that this story takes place. The shipload was probably no more than some boxes, particularly of Seville oranges, which were used medicinally and in a few recipes but not really a fruit consumed fresh. The name "marmalade" originates from the Portuguese word "marmelo" or quince, the fruit which made up the preserve with thin bits of peel. The Keiller contribution was to add the bits of
Marmalade comfort". According to the "Oxford English Dictionary", "marmalade" appeared in the English language in 1480, borrowed from French "marmelade" which, in turn, came from the galician language word "marmelada". According to José Pedro Machado’s "Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa", the oldest known document where this Portuguese word is to be found is Gil Vicente’s play "Comédia de Rubena", written in 1521: The extension of "marmalade" in the English language to refer to a preserve made from citrus fruits occurred in the 17th century, when citrus first began to be plentiful enough in England for the usage to become common. In