Pignolia
/pɪɡˈnoʊ.li.ə/noun
A pine nut, especially one used in Mediterranean cooking.
Did you know?Pignolia is related to the botanical word “pineal,” because the pineal gland was named for its pine-cone shape—a form later surrounded by mystical symbolism.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pīt- / *pi-nus
“A reconstructed root associated with the pine tree and resinous evergreens; the exact reconstruction is debated.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pīnus
“Pine tree; the source of later Romance words for pine.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pīnea
“Pine cone or pine nut, literally something belonging to a pine.”
Medieval Italian
Italian
pigna
“Pine cone; a descendant of Latin pīnea.”
Modern Italian
Italian
pignolo / pignoli
“Pine nut or pine nuts.”
Modern English
English
pignolia
“A pine nut; an English culinary loanword and variant of pignoli.”