Rutabaga - Etymology

Etymology

Brassica napobrassica has many national and regional names used globally. Rutabaga is the common American and Canadian term for the plant. It comes from the old Swedish word Rotabagge, meaning simply "root ram". In the U.S., the plant is also known as "Swedish turnip" or "yellow turnip". The term "Swede" is used instead of rutabaga in many Commonwealth Nations, including England, Wales, Australia, and New Zealand. The name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, the Westcountry, particularly Cornwall, Ireland, Ontario and Atlantic Canada. In Scots, it is known as "turnip," "tumshie" or "neep" (from Old English næp, Latin napus). The term "turnip" is also utilized in southern English usage. Some will also refer to both types as just "turnip" (the word is also derived from næp). In North-East England, turnips and swedes are colloquially called "snadgers" or "snaggers" (archaic).

Its common name in Sweden is kålrot (literally "cabbage root"), similarly in Denmark it is known as kålroe, while in Norway it has usurped the name of kålrabi in addition to being known as kålrot. The Finnish term is lanttu, of the same root as English "to plant", since it is usually planted from pre-grown saplings. Rutabaga is known as Steckrübe in German and it was considered mainly a famine food. Boiled stew with rutabaga and water as the only ingredient (Steckrübeneintopf) was a typical German food during the famines and food shortages of World War II, as well the following years. As a result, many older Germans don't have fond memories regarding this emergency food, though the rutabaga is still eaten in parts of Northern Germany. Most Germans prefer to use the related kohlrabi (German turnip) instead.