No matching word found in the dictionary.

Word of Random

nut[nut 词源字典]

nut: [OE] Nut is a member of a restricted family of Indo-European ‘nut’-words, present only in the Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages, that were derived ultimately from the Indo-European base *knu-, denoting ‘lump’. Latin nux (source of French noix, Italian noce, and Spanish nuez) came from an extended base *knuk-. Its derivative nucleus ‘nut, kernel’ has given English nucleus [18] and nuclear [19], and Vulgar Latin *nucātum is the source of English nougat [19].

The Germanic branch of the family, on the other hand, comes from an extended base *knut-, which has produced German nuss, Dutch noot, Swedish nöt, Danish nød, and English nut. The adjectival use of the plural, nuts, for ‘crazy’ dates back to the mid-19th century. It came from the metaphorical application of nut to ‘head’ – hence off one’s nut ‘deranged’, and in due course nuts.
=> nougat, nuclear, nucleus[nut etymology, nut origin, 英语词源]