Rutabaga - online puzzles

The rutabaga (from Swedish dialectal word rotabagge), swede (from Swedish turnip, the plant being introduced from Sweden ), or neep (from the Old English næp, Latin napus, reflected in the name Brassica napobrassica) is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. The roots are eaten in a variety of ways, and the leaves can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. The roots and tops are also used as winter feed for livestock, when they may be fed directly, or by allowing the animals to forage the plants in the field. Various European countries have a tradition of carving them into lanterns at Halloween.

Etymology

Rutabaga has many national and regional names. Rutabaga is the common North American term for the plant. This comes from the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge, from rot ( root ) + bagge (short, stumpy object). In the U.S., the plant is also known as Swedish turnip or yellow turnip.The term swede (from "Swedish turnip ") is used in many Commonwealth Nations, including much of England, Australia, and New Zealand. The name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, the West Country (particularly Cornwall), Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Manitoba, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada. In Wales, according to region, it is variously known as maip, rwden, erfin, swedsen, or swejen in Welsh, and as swede or turnip in English.