larch
UK[lɑːtʃ]US[lɑːrtʃ]
n
a tall tree that has thin sharp leaves that fall in winter and hard dry fruit called cones
n
the hard wood of the larch tree
Etymology
the word "larch" entered english in the early 16th century, borrowed from the german word "larche." this german term itself has a long lineage, tracing back through the old high german "larihha" to the latin "larix." the latin word is believed to be a loan from an ancient alpine language, possibly gaulish, reflecting the tree's prevalence in alpine regions. the core journey of the word is one of geographical borrowing, moving from a prehistoric alpine language into latin, then into germanic languages, and finally into english, all while consistently referring to the same coniferous tree.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword. its form does not contain separable morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
the forest was primarily composed of pine and larch.
larch is a durable timber often used for outdoor construction.
in autumn, the needles of the larch turn a brilliant gold before falling.