Pumpernickel
/ˈpʊm.pərˌnɪk.əl/noun
A dense, dark German-style rye bread, traditionally made with coarsely ground rye.
Did you know?The popular explanation links German pumpern, “to break wind,” with Nickel, a diminutive of Nicholas sometimes associated with a goblin or devil, but scholars treat this as folk etymology rather than proven fact.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
German
Pumpernickel
“The name of a dark, coarse rye bread associated especially with Westphalia.”
1662
German
Pumpernickel
“An early recorded form referring to the bread; its precise origin was already uncertain.”
18th Century
German
Pumpernickel
“The term continued in German usage for dense rye bread, while humorous explanations involving bodily noises and “Nickel” circulated.”
19th Century
English
pumpernickel
“Borrowed into English as the name of the German-style rye bread.”
Modern English
English
pumpernickel
“A dark, dense rye bread, often associated with German and Jewish-American baking traditions.”