Forms: 7 iennit-, jenit-, jenet-, junit-, junet-, genet-, ginniting, 8 jenit-, junetin, gen(n)iting, jeunetting, 9 gennetting, geniton, juneating, 8– jenneting. [app. from F. Jean or Jeannet, in pomme de Saint-Jean ‘S. John’s apple, a kind of soone-ripe Sweeting’ (Cotgr.): cf. pomme de Jeannet in Norman patois. The termination is conformed to that of sweeting, hasting, etc. Etymological ingenuity in the 17–18th c. saw in the word a reference to June, and ‘improved’ it into Juniting and June-eating.] A kind of early apple.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 540. The Apple trees … the hastie kind that bringeth sweet Iennitings.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Gardens (Arb.), 556. Early Peares, and Plummes in Fruit; Ginnitings; Quadlins.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv. (1746), 301. Junitings are the first kind of Apples which are soonest ripe, coming in and going out with the Month of June.
1741. Compl. Fam. Piece, II. ii. 383. Apples [July] … White Jeunetting, Margaret Apple.
1803. J. Abercrombie’s Ev. Man his own Gard., 671. Apples, Jenneting, or June eating; smallest early ripe.
1833. Tennyson, Blackbird, iii. With that gold dagger of thy bill To fret the summer jenneting.
b. Jenneting pear: An early pear; = F. poire de la Saint-Jean.
1695. Westmacott, Script. Herb., 11. The Fruit … is about the bigness of a small Jeneting Pear.
