'cantaloupe' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'cantalupo', where 'canta-' meant 'sing' and '-lupo' meant 'wolf'.

'cantalupo' transformed into the French word 'cantaloup', and eventually became the modern English word 'cantaloupe'.

Initially, it referred to a type of melon grown in Cantalupo, Italy, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of a sweet orange-fleshed melon.