Rampion
/ˈræm.pi.ən/noun
A bellflower plant, especially Campanula rapunculus, cultivated for its edible root and leaves.
Did you know?Rampion is closely associated with Rapunzel because the plant’s German name, Rapunzel, appears in the Grimm fairy tale as the food a pregnant woman desperately desires.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
rapa
“Turnip or edible root vegetable”
Late Latin
Latin
rapunculus
“A little turnip; a diminutive form of rapa”
Medieval Latin
Latin
rapunculus
“A small edible root, later applied to rampion”
14th–15th Century
French
raiponce
“Rampion, the bellflower plant”
Late 15th Century
English
rampion
“The plant Campanula rapunculus”
Modern English
English
rampion
“A bellflower valued historically for its edible root and leaves”