hickory

Where does the word "hickory" come from? It comes from Powhatan pawcohiccora, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Hickory’s story begins in Powhatan: pawcohiccora meant “a hickory-nut dish.” A dish made from pounded hickory nuts. It reached English by 1600s as hickory. Shortened by English colonists in Virginia, later applied to the tree itself. Today, hickory means a North American hardwood tree that produces edible nuts.

1. Stage 1 · Powhatan · pre-1600s pawcohiccora "a hickory-nut dish", a dish made from pounded hickory nuts.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s hickory "a North American nut-bearing tree", shortened by English colonists in Virginia, later applied to the tree itself.