Why is a walnut a walnut? Where did this name come from?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Walnut is one of the most popular nuts in Russia, it is eaten by millions of people every day. When someone talks about him, associations appear with Greece. But why walnut and not Greek?

On the Internet, you can find many recipes for baking with Volosh nut (that's what botanists call it), and it is sold everywhere. Walnut is perhaps the most affordable, it is sold in almost all supermarkets, shops, etc. In addition, the delicacy is popular not only in Russia. But among regular consumers, few have thought about why the walnut is called walnut, and not Greek.

History of walnuts

It is believed that the first Volosh fruits appeared a very long time ago, and they grew in Persia. But archaeological finds of this nut were made in Turkey, and in Switzerland, and in Italy, and in China, and in India. Voloshsky fruits are considered the oldest of all currently existing. The story of why a walnut is a walnut begins several centuries before our era.

In ancient Persia, only the elite could eat Volosh nuts. Usually they were served on the table to the kings and their entourage. That is why this nut soon began to be called royal.

In Persia, Volosh fruits grew in Mesopotamia. According to historians, it was a picturesque place with a vast territory. For the first time, Volosh fruits were mentioned in a letter before our era in the Code of Hammurabi. But why are nuts called walnuts if they grew in Persia? But because for the Greeks they became a symbol of life.

Popular plants also left their mark on Greek mythology. Perhaps, many remember the legend of the love of the god of wine Dionysus and the daughter of King Caria. When the girl died, Dionysus turned his beloved into a walnut tree.

In Greece, the first trees of these nuts were very small, and nuts are several times smaller than those that can be bought today. When the Greeks saw the larger and tastier fruit from the Persians, they were surprised that it was the same nut. After that, in Greece, they began to call the nut Persian and strive to ensure that the fruits were larger.

Name history

So where did the name of the walnut come from? The Persians called the fruits royal, the Greeks - Persian. It is largely thanks to the Romans that we now know this nut as the walnut.

The plants came to Italy for an unknown reason, but they were brought from Greece. The Romans could not come up with a name for the nut and in the end they called it the royal acorn of Jupiter (Jupiter is the main god in Roman mythology). Then why is a walnut a walnut? And because byFor some unknown reason, the name did not stick. Then they began to call him simply a nut. Years later, and perhaps even centuries, when nuts began to be constantly imported to Rome, people silently called them Greek nuts. The name stuck.

The legendary fruits were brought to Russia in the 14th or 15th century. But why is a walnut called walnut and not Greek? The answer is simple! Then they were called walnuts, because the word "Greek" was not used in speech. These days, the word "walnut" has long been considered obsolete.

It is interesting that in Afghanistan the walnut is called "four brains", because Volosh fruits look very similar to halves of the brain. In some European countries, such as France, Spain and Italy, the walnut is simply referred to as a nut. And in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, England and many other countries, the fruits are called alien nuts.

Using the word "walnut"

Having figured out why a walnut is called a walnut, it's hard not to pay attention to such an interesting adjective. It was believed that the word "walnut" was used by the common people, but this is not so. This adjective was used by such writers as Usachev and Gogol, and the prominent Russian philologist Dmitry Nikolaevich Ushakov wrote that this word has fallen into disuse, but has survived in some special names.

Why is a walnut also a walnut in modern Russia? It was precisely that rare case when a seemingly obsolete word that no onedoes not use and is not going to use in speech, left. Yes, now it’s really impossible to find the word “walnut” in modern books, in speech, on the Internet … But when people suddenly stopped using this definition, most likely it would be stupid to change the name of the fruit. So the walnut remained walnut.

Walnut in botany

Another reason why these nuts are called that has to do with botany. The Greek philosopher and scientist Theophrastus was the founder of such a science as botany. It was he who first described the fruits in his book. Perhaps walnuts were named after Greece not because they sold them to Europe and then to Russia, unlike the Persians, but because it was the Greek scientist who first described this nut and gave it a detailed description.

Benefits of walnut

Several centuries ago, gardeners found that walnut trees should not be planted in an area of 20-25 meters from other plants, as they tend to release a toxic substance into the soil. When scientists proved this fact, they began to check whether there was anything toxic in the nuts themselves, and came to the following conclusion.

This nut is good for the body like no other nut. It contains vitamins and minerals B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, E, zinc, magnesium, potassium and iron. It is interesting to know that nuts contain almost 50 times more ascorbic acid than citrus fruits.

In ancient times, warriors used walnuts to heal their wounds and also reduceappetite. At the same time, oral medicines were made from these amazing nuts.

Storage of walnuts

Freshly grown and harvested nuts appear in September. It is best to buy nuts in the shell, that is, unpeeled. In the shell, nuts can lie for almost 8 months from the date of purchase (if not fresh). Nuts without shells are quite picky. They must be kept in the refrigerator at all times. For even longer storage, place the shelled nuts in a food bag and leave in the freezer.

Why a walnut is a walnut, no one still knows for sure. This is not written in books, scientists do not make presentations on this topic. But nevertheless, such a question is very interesting, and every day at least a few people think about it.