cheddar

The word 'cheddar' is a classic example of a toponym, where a place name becomes the standard term for a product originating there. It derives from the Old English name for the village and gorge in Somerset, 'Ceador', first recorded in the 9th century. The meaning of the place name itself is uncertain but may come from the Old English 'ceodor', meaning a deep ravine or pouch, describing the local geography. By the 17th century, the term was firmly attached to the distinctive cheese produced in that region, its meaning shifting from a location to a commodity, a process common in the history of English vocabulary.

The word is a toponym, borrowed directly from the name of the village Cheddar in Somerset, England. It does not contain separable morphemes in the context of its modern English usage as a cheese name.