scallions
UK[ˈskæliənz]US[ˈskæliənz]
n
A type of onion with a small white bulb and long green leaves, eaten raw or cooked; a spring onion.
Etymology
The word 'scallion' has a distinctly geographical origin, tracing back to the Latin phrase 'Ascalonia caepa', meaning 'onion of Ascalon'. Ascalon was a significant ancient port city in the region of Palestine, renowned for exporting a particular variety of shallot or green onion. Through Old French ('escalogne'), the name of the city became attached to the vegetable itself. Over time, the initial 'A-' was lost, and the term evolved into Middle English 'scaloun', eventually becoming the modern 'scallion', a general term for a young green onion, its connection to the ancient city now obscured by history.
Analysis
The word 'scallion' is a simplex loanword. It entered English from the Old French 'escalogne', which derived from the Latin 'Ascalonia (caepa)', meaning "(onion) from Ascalon", a port city in ancient Palestine.
Examples
The recipe calls for a handful of finely chopped scallions.
He garnished the soup with fresh scallions for a bit of color and crunch.
You can use the white and green parts of scallions in this stir-fry.