spaetzle

Where does the word "spaetzle" come from? It comes from German Spatz, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Spaetzle’s story begins in German: Spatz meant “a little sparrow.” Literally little sparrow, a playful name for the small, irregular egg noodle. It reached English by 1900s as spaetzle. Swabian 'little sparrows', possibly from their shape. Today, spaetzle means a small, soft egg noodle traditional to southern Germany and Austria.

1. Stage 1 · German · medieval Spatz "a little sparrow", literally little sparrow, a playful name for the small, irregular egg noodle.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s spaetzle "a small, soft egg noodle", Swabian 'little sparrows', possibly from their shape.