elderberry
UK[ˈeldəberi]US[ˈeldərberi]
n
a small, dark purple berry that grows on the elder tree, often used to make wines, syrups, and jams.
n
the north american shrub or small tree (genus sambucus) that bears these berries.
Morpheme Breakdown
elder
berry
elder
tree name
berry
fruit
Etymology
the word 'elderberry' is a transparent english compound formed from two old english elements. 'elder' derives from the old english name for the tree, likely connected to words for 'fire' or 'hollow' due to its use in making pipes and its pithy stems. 'berry' is a common germanic term for small, edible fruits. the compound simply and logically denotes the fruit of the elder tree, with the modern term preserving the ancient descriptive naming pattern without significant semantic shift.
Analysis
Structure: elder (tree name) + berry (fruit)
elder (old english, from 'ellaern' or 'eldrun', referring to the tree). berry (old english 'berie', meaning a small, pulpy fruit).
Examples
she made a delicious syrup from the freshly picked elderberries.
elderberry extract is often taken as a supplement during cold season.
the hedgerow was dotted with the creamy-white flowers of the elderberry.