Original: The word Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning '' sharp '' ( referring to the characteristic points on the leaves ) and was first applied to the genus by the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700 .
Simplified: The word Acer comes from a Latin word meaning '' sharp '' . The first person to talk about the genus that way was French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700 .