Where does “nut” come from?
Nut comes from Middle English nute, from Old French note, from Latin nota meaning "mark" or "sign," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European newd- meaning "to notice" or "to know."
nut (English): A hard-shelled seed; A piece of metal, usually...
Definitions
- A hard-shelled seed; A piece of metal, usually...
Ancestry of “nut”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nute | — |
| 2 | Old English | hnutu | nut |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hnut | nut |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hnuts | nut |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | knew- | to scrape; scratch; rub; to scratch; scrape; rub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ken- | to arise, begin |