Rapunzel
/rəˈpʌnzəl/
noun
Origin
Latin
rapa — turnip
Overview
Meaning Now
- A fairy tale character famously known for her long, golden hair and her imprisonment in a tower by an enchantress.
- A plant, Campanula rapunculus, historically used as a vegetable, from which the protagonist of the fairy tale derives her name.
Literal older meaning
little turnip
Language path
Latin → Middle German → German → English
Earliest form
Rapunzel
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The name 'Rapunzel' originates from the German dialect term for a salad plant, often identified as the rampion (Campanula rapunculus). In the Grimm fairy tale, the girl is named after the vegetable her mother craves from the sorceress's garden, which leads to her imprisonment.
Evolution
- Latin
rapa
“turnip”
Root for the turnip/radish family.
- Middle German
rapunzel
“a type of salad vegetable (campanula)”
Diminutive form of Rapa.
- Modern German
Rapunzel
“fairy tale character”
Popularized by the Brothers Grimm.
Connections
Word parts
Rapunzel
root
a botanical name for a salad plant (Campanula rapunculus)
Related across languages
French
raiponce
rampion (the plant)
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Related to Rapunzel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.