Rapa
/ˈrɑːpə/noun
A scientific or historical name for a turnip or turnip-like plant.
Did you know?The Latin word rapa, meaning “turnip,” survives in scientific names such as Brassica rapa and helped produce the plant-name Rapunzel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rep-
“A reconstructed root associated with creeping or turnip-like plants.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
rapa
“Turnip; a root vegetable.”
Classical Latin
Latin
rapum
“Turnip or similar edible root.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
rapunculus
“Little turnip; a diminutive plant name.”
Middle English
English
rampion
“A cultivated root plant, from Old French forms related to Latin rapunculus.”
Modern scientific English
English
Rapa
“A taxonomic name used in plant nomenclature, especially in Brassica rapa.”