Shallot
/ʃəˈlɒt/noun
A small onion with clustered bulbs and a mild, garlic-like flavor.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin and Greek names for onions, showing how one humble bulb carried its identity across empires and languages for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
askolonion
“A kind of onion, likely named after Ascalon in the Levant”
Late Latin
Latin
ascalonia
“An onion from Ascalon; a type of onion”
Old French
Old French
eschalote
“Shallot”
Middle English
English
shalet / scallion
“A shallot or related onion”
Modern English
English
shallot
“A small cultivated onion with clustered bulbs”