Pistace

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An old spelling for the pistachio, the small green-kerneled nut or the tree that bears it
2. Archaic term for the pistachio tree and the edible nut it produces within a hard shell
3. A former spelling of pistachio, referring to the tree of the cashew family and its seed

Etymology: Pistachio comes from Italian "pistacchio," which in turn descends from Latin "pistacium," borrowed from Greek "pistakion," and ultimately from Persian "pista." The nut has been prized since antiquity, and the Latin and Greek forms passed through many hands before reaching Italy. The English word arrived much later than the tree itself. Its spelling was shaped by the Italian form, which is why the word looks so unlike its Persian ancestor. English speakers adopted it from Italian, and the initial "p" and the "ch" sound both reflect that route. The word's history shows how a foreign product carried its name along the trade routes. Persian speakers gave the nut its original name, and each language that borrowed it adjusted the sound to fit its own patterns.