Walnut

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɔːlnʌt/

Definitions

1. A hard-shelled edible nut with a wrinkled kernel, or the tree that produces it, prized for its rich wood and culinary uses
2. A type of tree known for its durable wood, as well as the edible nut it produces, which can be consumed raw or used in various dishes and confections
3. This tree yields a popular nut that has a unique flavor and texture, and is valued for the timber it provides

Etymology: The name of this nut is a joke about foreignness. Its Old English ancestor, "wealhhnutu," meant "foreign nut," from a Proto-Germanic compound combining the word for "foreigner" with the word for "nut." The Germanic peoples used "wealh" for outsiders, especially speakers of Celtic or Romance languages, and the same root gave Old English "Wales" and "Welsh." The tree was not native to the Germanic lands; it came into northern Europe from elsewhere, so speakers named it after the strangers who had brought it. The same pattern shows up in other languages. Dutch "walnoot," German "Walnuss," Swedish "valnöt," and Icelandic "valhneta" all keep the "foreign" element, and English has a modern parallel in the Welsh onion, which also borrows "Welsh" to mean "foreign."

Synonyms: nut, tree nut