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Nasturtium

English translation: Cressida

11:55 Dec 5, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: Nasturtium
My question is:
May this flower term be used as a female name for a girl in a children's book? In fact, this book is my translation from Russian, and in Russian this name sounds well enough to belong to a girl. But to me, the English term looks more like it could belong to a boy, not a girl.
Maybe it could be changed to Nasturtia, which looks more suitable for a girl's name? Although Nasturtia seems a bit odd to me, resembling a plural form...
Andrew Vdovin
Local time: 12:02
Selected answer:Cressida
Explanation:
The flower popularly known as a "nasturtium" is, as has already been pointed out, actually Tropaeolum. But "Nasturtium" does exist as a botanical name, for watercress. (There seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether watercress should be called Nasturtium officinale or Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, but "nasturtium" gets in there anyway.)

You can hardly call a girl "Watercress". but "Cressida" is a real name.

"Nasturtium" is a Latin neuter form, and hardly suitable as a girl's name. "Nasturtia" could be a feminine form, on the basis of the ending, but sounds an awful lot like the plural of "nasturtium", as has already been pointed out.
Selected response from:

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 07:02
Grading comment
Well, your version is very cute, that's why I've chosen it. Thanks, Richard.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +5Agree with David
lindaellen (X)
3 +3Marigold
Christine Andersen
2Cressida
Richard Benham
1Nasturtia
seaMount


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Agree with David


Explanation:
In addition,looking up nasturium in Webster's gives and additional folk etymology meaning "something that wrings the nose referring to its acrid smell". No wonder it's not on the top ten of baby girl's names.

lindaellen (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Knowles: I think "Nasturtium" is fine as a girl's name. All flowers will tend to sound like girls' names. Finding boys' names could be more tricky.
12 mins
agree  Dr Sue Levy (X): Nasturtium is in fact the common name, not the scientific one, for Tropaeolum.
1 hr
agree  David Moore (X): Thanks, Linda
1 hr
agree  Judith Kerman: Wonderful for a fairy - odd for a child, but it would depend on how fanciful the story is. "Nasturtia" would not be better, though. BTW, I can imagine (though I don't know that I've seen it) a real child named Peony, but she'd get teased like crazy!
2 hrs
agree  Asghar Bhatti
3 hrs
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
nasturtium
Nasturtia


Explanation:
Nasturtium sound too 'urannium' to me.
I like this Nasturtia.
Sounds like Laetitia, Anastasia or Maria.
And what's in a name ... my daughter is called after a mountain: Chesa ;-)


seaMount
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Christine Andersen: I was going to suggest Anastasia (sometimes shortened to Stacey, compare Theresa - Tracey, tho' I'd never use it for a child of my own). I think Nasturtia sounds odd, unless it is deliberately chosen because it is unusual.
1 hr
neutral  Alexander Demyanov: Isn't nasturtia the plural of nasturtium?
1 hr
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
nasturtium
Marigold


Explanation:
This is also unusual as a girl's name, but I remember being very taken with it as a child when I read a story where it was used as a child's name. I think it was shortened to Marie, or the little girl was 'good as gold' ;-)
- and I can't remember the story any more!

But a marigold is a bright orange flower like the nasturtium, and also used occasionally as a herb like the nasturtium. (Really good in soups!)

It might fit in as a substitute.

Christine Andersen
Denmark
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Judith Kerman: Fun idea. Nasturtium's good in salads, too - like watercress.
39 mins
agree  Terry Gilman: helpful suggestion as an alternative to the problems nasturtium presents
1 hr
agree  cmwilliams (X): definitely better than Nasturtium
1 hr
neutral  Richard Benham: Nasturtium flowers are also edible (sometimes floated on soup, and I even once saw a recipe for nasturtium pizza) and the seed pods can be pickled like capers (sometimes called "English capers").// :-)
9 hrs
  -> Culinary use of both plants was at the back of my mind when I suggested Marigold - we've had marigolds and the neighbours nasturtiums in the garden this summer, probably why I made the association.
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
nasturtium
Cressida


Explanation:
The flower popularly known as a "nasturtium" is, as has already been pointed out, actually Tropaeolum. But "Nasturtium" does exist as a botanical name, for watercress. (There seems to be some difference of opinion as to whether watercress should be called Nasturtium officinale or Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, but "nasturtium" gets in there anyway.)

You can hardly call a girl "Watercress". but "Cressida" is a real name.

"Nasturtium" is a Latin neuter form, and hardly suitable as a girl's name. "Nasturtia" could be a feminine form, on the basis of the ending, but sounds an awful lot like the plural of "nasturtium", as has already been pointed out.

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 07:02
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Well, your version is very cute, that's why I've chosen it. Thanks, Richard.
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