Advertisement

Origin and history of collard

collard(n.)

variety of kale with fleshy leaves along the stem, 1755, American English, a Southern corruption of colewort (Middle English) "cabbage," later especially "kale, greens." The first element is related to the cole in cole-slaw; for second element, see wort. Related: Collards.

Entries linking to collard

also coleslaw, cole slaw, "finely chopped cabbage dressed with vinegar, salt, etc. and eaten as a salad," 1794 ("A piece of sliced cabbage, by Dutchmen ycleped cold slaw"), American English, a partial translation of Dutch koolsla, literally "cabbage salad," from kool "cabbage" (see cole) + sla "salad" (see slaw). Cold slaw is a folk-etymology common until 1860s, when cole was revived in English.

an old word applied to any plant, herb, vegetable, root, etc., Old English wyrt "root, herb, vegetable, plant, spice," from Proto-Germanic *wurtiz (source also of Old Saxon wurt, Old Norse, Danish urt, Old High German wurz "plant, herb," German Wurz, Gothic waurts, Old Norse rot "root"), from PIE root *wrād- "branch, root."

Archaic from mid-17c. but common in old herb-names (St. John's wort attested from 15c.) the broad application of the word can make it difficult to identify what plant is meant.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    Share collard

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Advertisement