Buckwheat
/ˈbʌkˌwiːt/noun
A plant of the knotweed family whose edible seeds are used as a grain substitute.
Did you know?The word buckwheat goes back to a Germanic comparison with beech nuts—its name is basically a botanical disguise, not a true grain identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bōkō
“beech tree”
Old English
OE
bēce
“beech tree”
Middle Dutch
MDu
boecweit
“buckwheat, literally 'beech wheat'”
Middle English
ME
bukke-whete
“buckwheat”
Modern English
English
buckwheat
“the buckwheat plant and its seeds”