Turnip
/ˈtɜːr.nɪp/noun
A round root vegetable of the mustard family, typically white or yellow with a purple-tinged top.
Did you know?Its name is traditionally explained as Old English *turnepe* or *turnepe*, shaped by *turn* + a word linked to *neep/nap* for a swollen root, showing how everyday food names can preserve ancient farming speech.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
turnepe / turnepe
“a turnip; a swollen edible root”
Middle English
ME
turnep / turnip
“the same root vegetable, with spelling variation”
Modern English
English
turnip
“the cultivated root vegetable”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tere-
“to turn, rub, twist”