pecan

Where does the word "pecan" come from? It comes from Illinois (Algonquian) pakani, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Pecan’s story begins in Illinois (Algonquian): pakani meant “a hard-shelled nut.” A general term for nuts requiring a stone to crack. It reached English by 1700s as pecan. Illinois 'pakani', a nut too hard to crack by hand; Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees at Monticello. Today, pecan means a smooth, edible nut from a North American hickory tree.

1. Stage 1 · Illinois (Algonquian) · pre-1600s pakani "a hard-shelled nut", a general term for nuts requiring a stone to crack.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s pecan "the pecan nut", Illinois 'pakani', a nut too hard to crack by hand; Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees at Monticello.