Where does “kouign-amann” come from?
kouign-amann (Breton) comes from Breton amann, from German Ammann, from German Amtmann, from German amt, from Middle High German ambahte, from Old High German ambahti, from Proto-Germanic ambahtaz, from Gaulish ambaxtos — to drive.
kouign-amann (Breton): A traditional Breton butter cake
Definitions
- A traditional Breton butter cake
Ancestry of “kouign-amann”, step by step
kouign-amann traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Breton amann
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Breton | amann | butter |
| 2 | German | Ammann | — |
| 3 | German | Amtmann | bailiff |
| 4 | German | amt | agency; department; office state institution responsible for specified concerns |
| 5 | Middle High German | ambahte | — |
| 6 | Old High German | ambahti | position, office |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtaz | servant |
| 8 | Gaulish | ambaxtos | vassal, high-ranking servant |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | ambaxtos | servant |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |