Hazelnut
/ˈheɪz(ə)lˌnʌt/noun
The edible nut of the hazel tree.
Did you know?Hazel comes from Old English hæsel, a Germanic word tied to ancient European tree-names, and the nut part was added later in English, so the modern word is basically a compound built around one of the oldest woodland symbols in Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*koselos / *ḱoselo-
“An ancient root proposed for hazel or hazel-like shrub names in early Indo-European languages.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hasalaz
“Hazel tree.”
Old English
English
hæsel
“Hazel tree; hazel wood.”
Middle English
English
haselnut / haselnot
“Nut of the hazel tree.”
Modern English
English
hazelnut
“Edible nut of the hazel tree.”