How do you pronounce pecan? Is it pee-KAHN or PEE-kan? And why are there different pronunciations of the name of this nut? The word pecan was borrowed into English more than once, and from numerous Native American languages that had variations on the word (sometimes meaning just "nut" and not specifically "pecan"). So not only were various versions of the name for this hard-shelled nut borrowed from indigenous languages, they also migrated into English in different ways — picked up by the French, for example, as well as speakers of Spanish borrowing it from the French and the Native Americans, and the English borrowing it from the French in Louisiana. The pee-KAHN pronunciation is generally more common in the South. Elsewhere, you may hear PEE-kan or pee-KAN. Some people say that the word pecan is pronounced differently depending on whether it’s eaten raw or baked in a pie, but there’s no solid historical reason behind that idea. And, yes, we've heard the joke about the can under the bed at night. This is part of a complete episode.
Back in the 1950s, I lived in southeast Alabama, not too far from Jimmy Carter over in Georgia, where I learned that the proper pronunciation of “pecan” was “PEE-cahn”. This was true of both the nut, which I would collect to sell in the local feed store for movie money (the small ones, called seedlings, were more valuable), and of the pie, which must be made with Karo (“Kay-roe”) syrup.
BTW, a long vowel sound with the stress on the first syllable is a pretty good indicator of authenticity in the Deep South. Just ask any EYEtalian.