dolmen
UK[ˈdɒlmən]US[ˈdoʊlmən]
n
a prehistoric structure consisting of a large flat stone laid on upright ones, typically forming a tomb.
Etymology
The word 'dolmen' entered English in the early 19th century from French, which itself borrowed it from the now-obsolete Breton term taol maen, meaning 'stone table'. The Breton language is Celtic, and the term is a compound of taol (table) and maen (stone). This literal description perfectly captures the appearance of these ancient megalithic tombs: a large, flat capstone resting on supporting upright stones. English and other European languages adopted this specific term from archaeology to describe a structure found across Western Europe, moving from a regional Celtic compound to a precise international scientific term.
Analysis
This word is a loanword adopted as a single, unsegmentable unit into English.
Examples
The ancient dolmen stood silently on the windswept moor.
Archaeologists believe the dolmen was used for communal burials over many generations.
A popular hiking trail leads to a well-preserved dolmen from the Neolithic period.