Hazel
/ˈheɪ.zəl/noun
A small tree or shrub that produces edible nuts and has rounded leaves.
Did you know?In Celtic tradition, hazel was linked to sacred knowledge, and the nuts were said to grant wisdom, which is why hazel shows up again and again in folklore as a tree of insight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*koselos / *ḱosélos
“Possibly a hazel tree or hazel shrub (reconstructed ancestor of the Germanic forms).”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hasalaz
“Hazel tree.”
Old English
OE
hæsel
“Hazel tree; hazel wood.”
Middle English
ME
hasel / hazel
“Hazel tree; the nut-bearing shrub.”
Modern English
English
hazel
“A hazel tree or shrub; by extension, a light brownish-green color or a person’s eye color.”