garden

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˈɡɑː.dᵊn/, US /ˈɡɑːr.dᵊn/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English gardin,^[2][3] borrowed from Old Northern French gardin (“kitchen garden, orchard”), a variant of Old French jardin,^[4][2][5] from Vulgar Latin *hortus gardinus (“enclosed garden”),^[4] from Frankish *gardo (“enclosure, garden”),^[4][2] from Proto-Germanic *gardan-,^[4][5] from Proto-Indo-European *gher- (“to grasp, enclose”).^[4] It is cognate with Old High German garto (German Garten), Old English geard and Gothic gards “enclosure”,^[4][2] and is related to yard.^[2][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

An enclosed piece of ground for growing flowers, fruit or vegetables: the late 13th century in Etymonline and the 13th century in the OED,^[4][7] with surnames from the late 12th century (gardin, 1171–83).^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

A region of remarkable fertility is from 1596, as in the Garden of England for Kent.^[7] The adjective use, as in garden flowers, is from about 1600,^[4] and the verb, “to lay out and work a garden”, from 1577.^[2][3] To cultivate one's garden follows Voltaire's Candide (1759).^[7] Public pleasure grounds, gardens, are from 1838,^[7] and garden party is from 1843 in Etymonline and 1869 in Barnhart.^[4][2] The music-hall catchphrase everything in the garden is lovely is from the late 19th century,^[6] or 1909 in the OED.^[7] Lead someone up the garden path is attested by 1925,^[4][7] at first as lead up the garden, perhaps of luring someone into a garden to flirt.^[6] Garden-variety, “ordinary”, is from 1928.^[4] Gardener is a surname from 1130.^[2]

Timeline

• 1130 – the surname Gardener.^[2]
• 1171–83 – in a surname.^[2]
• 13th century – an enclosed garden.^[7]
• 1577 – verb.^[2][3]
• 1596 – a fertile region.^[7]
• 1843 – garden party.^[4]
• 1925 – lead up the garden path.^[4][7]
• 1928 – garden-variety.^[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A piece of land where flowers, vegetables, fruit or herbs are grown.
2. (often plural) Grounds laid out with plants and trees for public enjoyment; a park.
3. (British) The land next to a house, with a lawn and plants; a yard.
4. A fertile, well-cultivated region.

Verb

1. To work in a garden.
2. To lay out or cultivate as a garden.

Adjective

1. Grown in a garden; also, ordinary: a garden-variety cold.

Word family

• gardenful
• gardener
• gardenable
• gardenless
• gardenlike
• gardening

Related words

• yard
• orchard
• jardiniere
• kindergarten
• girdle
• court

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press