bagel

Where does the word "bagel" come from? It comes from Bavarian German beugel, passing through Yiddish before entering English (1900s).

Bagel’s story begins in Bavarian German: beugel meant “a ring-shaped roll.” From "biegen", to bend, describing the ring shape. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Yiddish as beygl. Became a staple of Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. It reached English by 1900s as bagel. Brought to New York by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants. Today, bagel means a dense, ring-shaped bread roll that is boiled then baked.

1. Stage 1 · Bavarian German · medieval beugel "a ring-shaped roll", from "biegen", to bend, describing the ring shape.
2. Stage 2 · Yiddish · 1600s beygl "a boiled and baked ring-shaped bread", became a staple of Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s bagel "a dense ring-shaped bread roll", brought to New York by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants.