Pinyon
/ˈpɪn.jən/noun
Any of several pine trees of the southwestern United States and Mexico that produce edible seeds.
Did you know?Pinyon seeds were an important traditional food for Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest, who gathered and stored them long before the tree’s name entered English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pī-nus
“Pine tree; a reconstructed ancient tree name”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πίτυς (pítus)
“Pine tree”
Classical Latin
Latin
pīnus
“Pine tree”
Medieval Latin
Latin
pīnea
“Pine cone”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
piña / piñón
“Pine cone / small pine seed or pine nut”
19th Century
English
pinyon
“A southwestern American pine, or its edible seed”