Definition of the word walnut

The word "walnut" has its roots in Old English and Germanic languages. The word "walnute" was derived from the Old English "hnel" or "hnelw" which referred to the nut. The word was later influenced by the Middle English "wale" meaning "foreign" or "strange", possibly due to the fact that walnuts were introduced to England by the Normans. In Germanic languages, the word for walnut is similar to the English word, such as the Old High German "walnaht" and the Modern German "Walnuss". The word has also been found in Old Frisian as "walnôt" and in Old Norse as "helnut", which suggests that the word was spread throughout the Germanic-speaking regions during the medieval period. The modern English word "walnut" has retained its meaning and is still used to refer to the edible nut of the walnut tree.