DCHP-2

gold-withy gowithy, goowiddy, Gouldwithy, Gould-withy, Gold-withy gould withy, goldworthy DCHP-2 (June 2016)

• n. — Newfoundland, Flora

  a sheep laurel or similar type of low shrub (see Image 1).

  Type: 2. Preservation — While the term gold-withy in Newfoundland is most frequently associated with Kalmia angustifolia, or sheep laurel, the name is also used for similar types of low-lying shrubs (see the 1973 quotation). Preserved from British English, gold-withy originally referred to Myrica gale (EDD, s.v. "gold" (2)). However, when the term travelled to Newfoundland with English settlers, it semantically expanded to include the sheep laurel and other similar short plants (see the 1987 quotation) that were local to Newfoundland. The plant is highly toxic when consumed by wild animals, thus earning the additional nickname "lambkill". Gold-withy appears most frequently in Canada (see Chart 1).
  See also DNE, s.v. "gold-withy".