cobble
UK[ˈkɒb.əl]US[ˈkɑː.bəl]
v
to make or repair shoes
v
to put together or produce something quickly or roughly
n
a rounded stone used for paving streets
Etymology
the verb 'cobble,' meaning to mend shoes, entered english in the 15th century from an unknown origin, though it is likely related to the earlier noun 'cobeler,' meaning a shoemaker. its modern sense of assembling something hastily is a 19th-century figurative extension from the notion of rough, makeshift repair work. the noun 'cobble,' for a paving stone, has a separate origin, deriving from the late middle english word 'cob,' meaning a round lump, and is unrelated to the shoemaking term. the convergence of these two distinct words under the same spelling is a historical coincidence in the english lexicon.
Analysis
this word is considered a simplex form in modern english. it is a loanword whose current spelling does not neatly divide into productive, meaning-bearing morphemes derived from its source.
Examples
in the old village, you could still find a craftsman who would cobble leather boots by hand.
we had to cobble together a presentation from last year's notes just an hour before the meeting.
the narrow alley was lined with ancient cobbles, worn smooth by centuries of footsteps.