garden
UK[ˈɡɑːdn̩]US[ˈɡɑːrdn̩]
n
A piece of ground, often near a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, vegetables, or grass, and often with an area of grass for sitting on.
v
To work in a garden, making plants grow.
Etymology
The word 'garden' entered English from the Anglo-Norman French 'gardin', which itself derived from the Old Northern French 'gardin'. This traces back to the Vulgar Latin 'gardīnus' or 'gardus', a borrowing from a Germanic source. The ultimate origin is the Proto-Germanic 'gardaz', meaning 'enclosure' or 'yard', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'yard'. The semantic journey is clear: from a general concept of an enclosed space, the meaning specialized in French and English to denote an enclosed piece of ground specifically cultivated for plants. This evolution reflects the historical importance of protected, private cultivation spaces.
Analysis
The word 'garden' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a single, unsegmentable lexical unit in modern English.
Examples
She spent the afternoon weeding the flower garden.
They grow their own vegetables in a small garden at the back of the house.
My grandfather loves to garden; it's his favorite hobby.