The plum’s name compresses a description meaning “of Damascus.” This route follows the French and English forms in Webster’s New World.
Merriam-Webster compresses the route to Middle English and Latin. Other Latin inflections and English spellings are alternatives, not additional steps.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster: damson
The Latin phrase names a Damascus plum.
- Collins: damson
The entry supplies the selected French and Middle English forms.