Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nutcake” come from?

nutcake (English) comes from English cake, from Middle English cake, from Old Norse kaka, from Proto-Germanic kakǭ, from Proto-Indo-European gōg- — round, ball-shaped object; lump; clump.

nutcake (English): A cake made with nuts; A crazy person

Definitions

  1. A cake made with nuts; A crazy person

Ancestry of “nutcake”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcakeA rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of...
2Middle Englishcakecake; A cake prepared to cure disease or illness;...
3Old Norsekakacake
4Proto-Germanickakǭcake
5Proto-Indo-Europeangōg-round, ball-shaped object; lump; clump
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gōg- →