larkspur
UK[ˈlɑːkspɜː]US[ˈlɑːrkspɜːr]
n
A garden plant with tall spikes of blue, pink, or white flowers, whose seeds are poisonous.
Morpheme Breakdown
lark
spur
lark
bird
spur
pointed object
Etymology
The name 'larkspur' is a picturesque English folk compound from the 16th century, directly combining the names of two familiar objects. It visually compares the flower's distinctive long, hollow nectar-secreting appendage (the spur) to the long, straight hind claw of a lark. This is a classic example of a calque, or loan translation, as it mirrors the naming logic found in the plant's Medieval Latin name, Delphinium, which compared the flower bud to a dolphin's head. Thus, the modern abstract meaning for the plant arises from a vivid metaphorical description of its most striking physical feature.
Analysis
Structure: lark (bird) + spur (pointed object)
- lark: From Old English lāwerce, lāferce, referring to the songbird. In this compound, it likens the flower's shape to the bird's long, pointed hind claw.
- spur: From Old English spura, spora, meaning a pointed device worn on a rider's heel or a projecting part. Here, it describes the flower's long, pointed spur-like nectar holder.
Examples
The cottage garden was filled with tall, blue larkspurs swaying in the breeze.
All parts of the larkspur plant are toxic if ingested.
She compared the delicate shape of the flower to a lark's spur, explaining its common name.