lovage
UK[ˈlʌv.ɪdʒ]US[ˈlʌv.ɪdʒ]
n
A tall European herb of the parsley family, with large leaves and greenish-yellow flowers, used for flavoring food and formerly in medicine.
Etymology
The word 'lovage' entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman French 'luvesche', which itself derived from Old French 'levesche'. This Old French term can be traced back to the Late Latin 'levisticum', an alteration of the Classical Latin 'ligusticum'. 'Ligusticum' literally meant 'of Liguria', a region in northwestern Italy, where the plant was thought to have been abundant or perhaps first identified by Roman botanists. Over centuries, the word's form shifted through phonetic changes in Old French and Anglo-Norman before being adopted into English, where it stabilized as 'lovage', entirely losing its direct geographical association for modern speakers.
Analysis
The word 'lovage' is a simplex loanword. Its spelling and form were adapted as a whole from its source language.
Examples
The chef used fresh lovage to add a celery-like flavor to the soup.
Lovage was once a common ingredient in herbal remedies for digestive problems.
The garden's herb bed contains parsley, dill, and a large clump of lovage.