Pistachio traveled from Middle Persian pistag through Greek, Latin, and Italian to reach English — reflecting the nut's ancient cultivation in Central Asia and Persia.
A small, greenish nut with a hard shell that splits open when ripe.
From Italian pistacchio, from Latin pistacium, from Greek pistákion, from Middle Persian pistag. The Persian word is the ultimate source, reflecting the nut's origin in Central Asia and the Middle East, where it has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years. Key roots: pistag (Middle Persian: "pistachio").