caraway
UK[ˈkærəweɪ]US[ˈkærəweɪ]
n
A plant of the parsley family with finely divided leaves and clusters of small white flowers.
n
The pungent, aromatic seeds of the caraway plant, used as a spice in cooking and baking.
Etymology
The word 'caraway' entered English in the late 14th century via Medieval Latin 'carvi' and Old Spanish 'alcarahueya'. Its ultimate origin is traced to Arabic 'karawiyā', which itself likely came from an earlier, unknown Mediterranean source. The journey of the word mirrors the historical trade routes of the spice itself, moving from the Mediterranean and Middle East into European languages. The modern English spelling was influenced by association with the place name 'Caraway' and the word 'car', though these are folk etymologies with no real linguistic connection to the plant.
Analysis
The word 'caraway' is a simplex, borrowed as a whole unit from another language. Its spelling does not transparently break down into meaningful, recombining morphemes within English.
Examples
The distinctive flavor of rye bread often comes from caraway seeds.
She sprinkled ground caraway over the roasted vegetables for an aromatic touch.
Caraway is also used to flavor the liqueur kümmel.