Where does “cake” come from?

cake (French) 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.

cake (French): fruitcake; quick bread

Definitions

  1. fruitcake; quick bread

Ancestry of “cake”, 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

Words derived from “cake”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gōg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kakǭ →Every word from Old Norse kaka →