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scal·lion

(skălyən)

1. A bunching onion or a young onion harvested before the bulb develops. Also called green onion.

2. Any of several onionlike plants, such as a shallot.

[Middle English scaloun, from Anglo-Norman scalun, from Vulgar Latin *escalōnia, alteration of Latin (caepa) Ascalōnia, Ascalonian (onion), shallot, feminine of Ascalōnius, Ascalonian, from Ascalō, Ascalōn-, Ascalon (Ashkelon), an ancient city of southwest Palestine, from Hebrew 'ašqəlôn; see ṯql in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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