col
UK[kɒl]US[kɑːl]
n
A low point or depression in a mountain ridge; a pass or gap.
n
A low point between two waves or peaks.
Etymology
The word 'col' entered English in the mid-19th century from French, where it carries the same meaning of a mountain pass or neck. The French term derives from the Latin collum, meaning 'neck'. This Latin root is itself from the Proto-Indo-European kwel-, meaning 'to revolve, move around; neck', a root which also gave rise to words like 'collar' and 'wheel'. The semantic evolution from 'neck' to a geographical 'pass' is a classic metaphorical shift, comparing the narrow, connecting feature of a neck to a low point between two higher elevations.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form, a direct borrowing from a regional dialect term. It is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable English morphemes.
Examples
The hikers crossed the windy col between the two peaks.
On the weather map, the region of low pressure was situated in the col.
The ancient trade route went through a high col in the Alps.