Kabu
/ˈkɑː.buː/noun
A Japanese turnip, especially the small, round white varieties used in Japanese cooking.
Did you know?Japanese kabu is closely associated with seasonal food traditions, but its exact linguistic origin is uncertain, so claims linking it to occult or mystical words would be speculation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
かぶ (kabu)
“A turnip or edible root vegetable; the earliest history of the term is uncertain.”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
蕪 (kabu)
“The character used for the turnip, also associated with the Chinese botanical term for it.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
かぶ / 蕪
“Turnip, commonly referring to Japanese white turnip varieties.”
20th Century
English
kabu
“A loanword used in English culinary and botanical contexts for a Japanese turnip.”
Modern English
English
kabu
“A Japanese turnip, particularly one used in Japanese cuisine.”