Where does “turnip” come from?
Turnip derives from Middle English turnepe, a blend of Middle English turnen (from Latin tornare, meaning to turn) and Latin nepeta (a plant), ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European terh₁- meaning to turn.
turnip (English): The white root of a yellow-flowered plant,...
Definitions
- The white root of a yellow-flowered plant,...
Ancestry of “turnip”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | turnepe | — |
| 2 | Middle English | nepe | turnip |
| 3 | Old English | nǣp | turnip, rape |
| 4 | Latin | nāpus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | νᾶπυ | mustard |
| 6 | Demotic | snwpt | — |
Words derived from “turnip”