Pumpernickel

Meaning

a type of sourdough rye bread with a strong, sweetish flavor; coarse, brittle, and dark in color; native to north-western Germany, especially Westphalia

Concepts

pumpernickel

rye bread

Synonyms

Schwarzbrot

Roggenbrot

Translations

pane di segale

roggebrood

pain

🍞

pão de centeio

pan de centeno

Pumpernickel

Dialects

Basel-Landschaft

bumperniggel

Basel-Landschaft

bundesziegel

Data provided by: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈpʊmpɐˌnɪkl̩]

Etymology

17th century, from Westphalian Low German Pumpernickel (literally “farting Nicholas”), originally attested in the sense “coarse, clumsy bloke”. From pumpern (“to fart”) + Nickel (diminutive of Nikolaus). The use for the bread alludes to its being coarse-ground and particularly its flatulent effect. It was originally pejorative or at least humorous; the normal Westphalian word is Schwarzbrot (Low German Schwattbraut).