collard
UK[ˈkɒləd]US[ˈkɑːlərd]
n
A variety of cabbage that does not form a compact head, with large, dark green, edible leaves.
Etymology
The word 'collard' is a variant of the Middle English term 'coleworte' or 'colewort', which simply meant "cabbage plant". 'Cole' itself derives from the Old English 'cāl', 'cāwel', borrowed from Latin 'caulis', meaning "stem, stalk, cabbage". The '-ard' ending is not a separate morpheme in this case but developed through colloquial pronunciation, likely influenced by other plant names ending in '-ard'. Thus, 'collard' preserves the ancient Latin root for cabbage in a form that has been phonetically smoothed and lexicalized in American and Southern English dialects to refer specifically to this non-heading, leafy brassica.
Analysis
The word 'collard' is a simplex word, a loanword adapted from English dialectal pronunciation. It is not productively formed from separable modern English morphemes.
Examples
A traditional Southern dish often includes collard greens cooked with smoked pork.
The farmer's market had bundles of fresh, dark green collards.
For a nutritious side, try sautéing collard leaves with garlic and olive oil.