Corylus
/ˈkɔr.ɪ.lus/noun
A genus of shrubs and small trees that produce hazelnuts, especially the hazel.
Did you know?In classical Latin, corylus named the hazel, a tree later tied across Europe to dowsing rods and folk magic because hazel wood was believed to reveal hidden water and secrets.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱer- / *ḱory-
“A proposed ancient root connected with horn or hard wood, though the exact prehistory of Latin corylus is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
corylus
“Hazel tree; hazel shrub.”
Late Latin
Latin
corylus
“Hazel, especially in botanical usage.”
Middle English
English
corylus
“Used in learned botanical and scholarly contexts for hazel.”
Modern English
English
corylus
“The botanical genus name for hazels.”
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