nasturcium

Middle English

Alternative forms

• naisturcium, narstucium, narstuscium

Etymology

From Latin nasturtium, possibly through Old English nasturcium. For forms in nars-, compare Medieval Latin narstucium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nasˈtursi.um/, /narsˈtusi.um/

Noun

nasturcium

1. A plant in the genus Nasturtium; watercress.
2. The garden cress (Lepidium sativum)

Descendants

• English: nasturtium (archaic nasturtian, nasturtion)

References

• “nasturcium, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old English

Etymology

From Latin nasturtium, from Latin nāsus (“nose”) + tormentum (“torment”) or torquēre (“to twist”) for its pungence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɑs.tur.ki.um/, [ˈnɑs.turˠ.ki.um]

Noun

nasturcium n

1. various plants with a spicy flavor in the family Brassicaceae, especially the genus Nasturtium, watercress
   • a. 1200, Herbarium Apuleii, London, British Library, Harley 6258B:

     Nim þa wyrt nasturcium & pollegian, seoð on wætere, sile drincan.

     Take the herbs nasturtium & pennyroyal, boil in water, and drink them.

Descendants

• >? Middle English: nasturcium, naisturcium, narstucium, narstuscium
  • English: nasturtium (archaic nasturtian, nasturtion)

References

• “nasturtium, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2003.