medlar
UK[ˈmɛdlə]US[ˈmɛdlər]
n
A small brown apple-like fruit that is eaten when it has begun to decay.
n
The tree that produces this fruit.
Morpheme Breakdown
medlar
medlar
Unsegmentable
Etymology
The word 'medlar' traces a journey across the Mediterranean, originating from the Greek 'mespilon', the name for the fruit and tree. This term was adopted into Latin as 'mespilum' and subsequently into various Romance languages, such as Old French 'medler'. English borrowed the word in the 14th century, retaining the core reference to the specific fruit. Its path is a direct transmission of a name for a natural object, with no further morphological breakdown in English, making it a clear example of a borrowed simplex term.
Analysis
Structure: medlar (Unsegmentable)
The word 'medlar' is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Old French 'medler' or 'meslier', which itself derived from Latin 'mespilum', and ultimately from Greek 'mespilon'.
Examples
The medlar fruit is unusual because it must be bletted, or softened by decay, before it is edible.
A gnarled old medlar tree stood at the corner of the orchard.
In historical recipes, medlars were often used to make jellies and desserts.