pancake

Where does the word "pancake" come from? It comes from Old Norse kaka, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Pancake’s story begins in Old Norse: kaka meant “cake.” A cake; Viking settlers gave English the word. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as pancake. 'pan' plus 'cake'. It reached English by 1500s as pancake. Shrove Tuesday became 'Pancake Day', for using up eggs and fat before Lent. Today, pancake means a thin flat cake of batter fried in a pan.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval kaka "cake", a cake; Viking settlers gave English the word.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1400s pancake "pancake", 'pan' plus 'cake'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s pancake "pancake", Shrove Tuesday became 'Pancake Day', for using up eggs and fat before Lent.