sentences:  The third and most likely derivation, by the philologist Ernest Weekley, also suggests the term was originally applied to pears, but that it came from Middle English "parmain", "permain", derived from Old French "parmaindre" "to endure", and referred to the long keeping qualities of some varieties.Rejecting the etymology from "parmensia", Weekley noted that 17th century references to a "pompire" or "pyramalum" (i.e.an "apple-pear") suggested that the original 'Pearmain' apple was named for some quality associated with the pearmain pear; i.e.