Chinese Cabbage
/ˌtʃaɪˈniːz ˈkæbɪdʒ/noun
Any of several leafy vegetables of the mustard family, especially napa cabbage and bok choy, associated with cultivation in China.
Did you know?The word cabbage ultimately traces to Latin caput, “head,” linking it unexpectedly to words such as capital, captain, and chapter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput-
“Head; the upper or foremost part of the body”
Classical Latin
Latin
caput
“Head; the source of later words connected with leadership and the topmost part”
Medieval Latin
Latin
caput
“Head, with extended uses for a principal place or division”
12th–13th Century
Old French
caboche
“Head or rounded head; a diminutive form related to Latin caput”
15th Century
English
cabbage
“A compact leafy plant forming a head; later also a verb meaning to steal or pilfer”
17th–18th Century
English
Chinese cabbage
“A cabbage associated with China, formed from the adjective Chinese and the established word cabbage”
Modern English
English
Chinese cabbage
“A broad name for Asian leafy brassicas, especially napa cabbage and bok choy”