mallard
UK[ˈmælɑːd]US[ˈmælɚd]
n
A common wild duck, the male of which has a dark green head and a white collar around its neck.
Etymology
The word 'mallard' entered English in the late 14th century from the Old French 'mallart' or 'malart', meaning a wild drake. This Old French term is likely derived from the masculine form 'mallart', with the feminine being 'mallarde', suggesting a connection to the adjective 'male' (meaning masculine or male animal). The ultimate origin is the Latin 'masculus', meaning 'male'. The semantic journey thus moved from the general concept of 'male' to specifically denote the male of the wild duck species, and eventually, by extension, to the species as a whole, regardless of sex.
Analysis
The word 'mallard' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English.
Examples
A pair of mallards glided silently across the pond.
The mallard is one of the most recognizable and widespread ducks in the Northern Hemisphere.
He watched the male mallard's iridescent green head gleam in the sunlight.