What does it mean word for word?
The term fruits à coque literally means 'fruits with a shell' or 'shell fruits'.
Which one should you use?
The phrase allergie aux fruits à coque is the broad medical term for an allergy to tree nuts. In contrast, allergie aux noix can be used as shorthand for nut allergies in general, but it specifically refers to a walnut allergy.
How does it change in a sentence?
While fruits à coque is the correct medical category for all tree nuts, the phrase allergie aux noix is often used colloquially to refer specifically to a walnut allergy.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the word noix to mean all types of nuts. In French, noix specifically refers to walnuts, so you should use fruits à coque when referring to the general category of tree nuts.
Did you know?
- The word coque used in the phrase actually comes from the Latin 'coccum', which originally meant a 'berry' before evolving to mean a 'shell'.
- French distinguishes between fruits à coque for tree nuts and arachides for peanuts, as the latter are legumes and not true shell fruits.
- The English word 'shell' and the French word coque share a distant evolutionary path through Latin, but in French, coque is more commonly used for a boat's hull than for a nut.
Examples in context
- Je suis très allergique aux noix, veuillez éviter de les inclure dans mon plat.I am highly allergic to nuts, please avoid including them in my dish.
- Elle doit faire attention car elle a une allergie aux fruits à coque.She must be careful because she has a nut allergy.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are at a restaurant looking at the menu.
- GabrielEst-ce que ce plat contient des noix ?Does this dish contain nuts?
- LéaOui, pourquoi ?Yes, why?
- GabrielParce que j'ai une allergie aux fruits à coque.Because I have a nut allergy.
- LéaD'accord, je vais demander au serveur.Okay, I will ask the waiter.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries allergie, aux, coque, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
