Garlic hides an old vegetable compound: spear-leek.
Old English gārlēac joined spear and leek. The compound passed through Middle English garlek before reaching garlic. Its modern spelling conceals the familiar vegetable in the second component.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster: garlic
Word History supplies the two components and selected spellings.
- Online Etymology Dictionary: leek
Leek is from Old English lēac, also the final element in garlic.