celeriac
Meaning
a type of celery grown for its large edible root, which has a strong flavor.
Structure
Usage
the soup was flavored with a base of pureed celeriac.
celeriac, with its knobby appearance, can be roasted or mashed like a potato.
she made a refreshing salad of grated celeriac and apple.
Etymology
the word 'celeriac' is a modern botanical term formed from 'celery' with the addition of the suffix '-ac'. the base 'celery' itself has an intriguing history, deriving from the ancient greek word 'selinon', meaning 'parsley', which passed into latin as 'selinum' and later 'celerium'. the latin root 'celer', meaning 'swift', is thought to have influenced the form due to the plant's rapid growth. the suffix '-ac', of latin origin, denotes a connection or relationship, thus 'celeriac' literally means 'pertaining to celery', specifically distinguishing this root vegetable from its leafy-stalked relative.
Analysis
celeri (from latin 'celerium', a variant of 'celer', meaning 'quick' or 'swift', later associated with the plant celery; here it functions as the base noun). ac (from latin adjectival suffix '-acus', meaning 'pertaining to' or 'belonging to'; here it forms an adjective used as a noun).