noyau

stone (of a fruit), pit (of a fruit); group (of artists etc.); cell (of terrorists etc.); core; nucleus; kernel

Inherited from Middle French noyau, backformed from Old French noiaus, plural of noial, a variant of Old French noel, from either Early Medieval Latin nōdellus (“buckle”), diminutive of nōdus (“knot”), or Late Latin nucālis (“nut-like”), derivative of nux (“nut”). Compare English newel and noil.