hollyhock
UK[ˈhɒlihɒk]US[ˈhɑːlihɑːk]
n
A tall garden plant with large showy flowers on a single stem.
Etymology
The word 'hollyhock' presents a fascinating case of folk etymology. It originated from the Middle English 'holi hoc', where 'hoc' was the Old English term for a mallow plant. The first element, 'holi' (holy), was attached because the plant was originally known as the 'holy mallow', having been brought to England from the Holy Land during the Crusades. Over centuries, 'hoc' transformed into the familiar 'hock', and the two elements merged phonetically and orthographically. Thus, the name literally preserves a historical journey, linking the plant's geographical origin to its botanical identity in the English garden.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It is a compound formed from two English words, 'holy' and 'hock' (an old name for a mallow plant), but its modern spelling and pronunciation have fused into a single, unsegmentable lexical unit.
Examples
A row of tall hollyhocks stood against the sunny garden wall.
The bees were busy collecting pollen from the vibrant pink hollyhock flowers.
She saved seeds from her favorite hollyhocks to plant again next spring.