Various dictionaries give us various interpretations of the origin of the word. However, the great Turkish Dictionary "Türk Dil Kurumu" states that the word has Pontic origin.
The Turkish word lapa generally refers to a thick, porridge-like substance, such as rice or flour porridge. It can also describe snow falling in thick flakes. Its etymology is complex, with possible connections to Armenian, Greek, and even Proto-Uralic roots.
The dictionary of the Türk Dil Kurumu considers it a loan from Pontic Greek ("Rumca").
The Turkish Word Lapa
Translated from English by Dimitris Symeonidis JP
The Turkish word "lapa" probably comes from a combination of sources, including borrowings from Pontic Greek (Rumca) and Armenian. It also shares roots with the Turkish words "yapağı" (raw wool), "yapalak" (owl), and "lapa lapa (kar)" (snow in thick flakes), which are related to the Old Turkish "yapaḳu" (flocks or clumps of sheep's wool). The word "lapa" itself refers to a type of rice porridge or bulgur common in the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and made with rice, water, and salt.
Influence from Pontic Greek/Armenian:
The Turkish Language Society (Türk Dil Kurumu) considers it borrowed from Pontic Greek, while Robert Dankoff suggests an Armenian origin, specifically from the Armenian word "lap" meaning "watery dog food, porridge for babies", Old Turkish Connections:
The word “lapa” is also connected to the Old Turkish word “yapaḳu”, which refers to wool or tufts of hair. This connection is seen in the modern Turkish words “yapağı” (raw wool), “yapalak” (owl) and the colloquial form “lapa lapa (kar)”, meaning snow falling in thick flakes.
Meaning in Turkish:
In Turkish, the word “lapa” specifically refers to a thick, porridge-like texture, often associated with rice dishes.
Rumka and Yunanka
Rumka is the language of the Roman Empire. But Yunanka is the language of Greece. So, we can say that:
Rumka = Roman
Yunanka = Greek
But at present, both are used for the Greek language, because the cultures of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and Greece mixed and formed a new culture. So, you can say both, but their origins and real meanings are as I explained above. Today, we use Yunanka more for the Greek language. Rumka is generally used for the Byzantine Empire era.
Also today we have the concepts
lapas; (mammary, feminine), butterbembes, floros
Triantaphyllides Dictionary
lapas [lapás] O1 : 1. rice food that is boiled until it becomes mushy. 2. (diminutive) a. for failed foods (mainly pasta): ~ became the food. b. (generic, mtf.) for the unsuccessful one: The play, while starting successfully, ends up ~. 3. (mtf., for adv.) a. sluggish, flabby, soft; water-boiled: Where can this ~ run! b. colorless, not causing any impression or interest; water-boiled: Where did you find this lapa and get engaged to him?
[Turkish lâpa -s]
HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF THE IDIOMS OF CAPPADOCIA
LAPAS
small (noun) lapak' [laˈpak] Ax. Pop. slops [laˈpaça] Sil. sly [ˈlapla] Sil. …
lapas (noun, masculine) mud [laˈpʰas] Pharas. light bulb [læˈpʰæs] Pharas. lapa [laˈpa] Soft, Salary lepe [ˈlepe] Chukhur. Plural. shovels [laˈpaðʝa] Soft.From the Turkish noun. lapa (< Armenian lap = baby or animal food in the form of a puree (Dankoff 1995: 53)), where also dialect typ. lepe, further echolocation. (Nisanyan 2020, p. lapa).
- Lenten pilaf, lapasso.pt. : My father-in-law's scolding is a joke. (I will eat my father-in-law's lapa) Chuhur. -Dawk.
b. More generally, any overcooked food.
- Poultice Salary, Fake: They fasted, boiled mares with oil, drank the laver, and laid a mother with her belly on top. (They lit a fire, boiled some horseradish with the oil, made a poultice out of it and put it on my mother's belly) Salary -Pernot.Gall.
mud (noun) mud [ˈlapos] Anacl., Silat., Synass., Fertak., Phlog. lapis [ˈlapus] Soft, Soft …
lapa, the (noun)
[lapara*] (anat.)
a) the part of the abdomen immediately below the navel and above the iliac bones - iliac crest, iliac crest,
b) (by extension) the belly.
Lapa in Medicine
In medicine, the term “lapa” usually refers to the root of burdock (Arctium lappa), which has been traditionally used for its healing properties. Lapa, as it is known in Greek, is an herb used for various ailments, mainly related to the skin and digestion.
Specifically, the medicinal use of lapa is as follows:
Diuretic and diaphoretic action:
It helps eliminate fluids from the body, with a possible effect on fluid retention and detoxification.
Blood purification:
It is thought to have properties that help remove toxins from the blood.
Skin diseases:
It is used to treat skin problems such as eczema and acne, mainly due to its anti-inflammatory effect.
Digestive system:
In some cases, it is used to relieve gastrointestinal disorders and aid digestion.
In traditional medicine and folk medicine:
Burdock root has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat skin problems.
In Greek folk medicine, lapa has been used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, and for purifying the blood.
It is often combined with lemon to enhance its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, especially in cases of viral infections with digestive discomfort.
Note: Burdock root is generally considered safe, but it is recommended to consult a doctor or specialist before using it, especially for people with underlying medical conditions or who are taking other medications.
Ancient Sources:
Galenus Med., In Hippocratis prorrheticum i commentaria iii
Kühn volume 16, page 838, line 1
becauseyou are lazy3sein> mainly empty | means, to the empty-
It is then that the latter is brought near and the softer becomes.
Erotianus Gramm., Med., Vocum Hippocraticarum collectio (0716: 001)
"Erotiani vocum Hippocraticarum collectio cum fragmentis”, Ed. Nachmanson, E.
Gothenburg: Eranos, 1918.
Klein page 91, line 5
<What does he have in him?> instead of great food
question.
<you are lazyyou are weak, you are empty.
Hesychius Lexicogr., Lexicon (A – O) (4085: 002)
"Hesychius Alexandrini lexicon, vols. 1–2”, Ed. Latte, K.
Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1:1953; 2:1966.
Alphabetic letter lambda, entry 309, line 1
envoy
*<you are lazyyou, you are>; empty AS
*<lapatton>; malatton (A), lagaron who makes
<Lapersa>· Lapersa Twin of the Dioscorus· from La
city (Soph. fr. 871)
[<to light up>; to light up]
<Lapithion>; the word comes from the city of Lapith.
Sources:
The Turkish dictionary Türk Dil Kurumu
Triantaphyllides Dictionary
Historical Dictionary of Cappadocian Idioms
mednutrition.gr/
Greek Language Thesaurus (TLG)
Ioan. Stamatakos: Dictionary of the Ancient Greek Language
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