August 15, 1997

pumpernickel

Do you have any information on the origin of the word "pumpernickel"? Some years ago a friend offered a theory that the word originated as a French phrase during the reign of Napoleon. He beleives that as Napoleon's army pushed north into Russia, the wheat used to make bread for the troops gradually gave way to rye which was more hardy in the northern climate and was not well liked by the soldiers due to the coarse dark consistency of the bread. He also says that the French cavalry frequently referred to their horses by the affectionate term "nicole," much the same as Americans used to refer to their cars as "Betsy." The French troops therefore, being forced to eat rye bread, would exclaim that the bread was not good for them and was only good for their horse or "bon pour nicole." This sounds cute but is there any basis in fact?

You are right to regard this story with skepticism; it is completely untrue. But the remarkable thing about the word pumpernickel is that its etymology is almost as interesting as this ridiculous story (which is, to give your friend the benefit of the doubt, is both amusing and fairly widespread).

Pumpernickel 'a coarse, dark, slightly sour bread made of unbolted rye', is from German, as one might expect. The word was originally used in German as an insulting term for anyone considered disagreeable. Its elements are pumpern 'to break wind', and Nickel 'a goblin; devil; rascal', originally a nickname from Nicholas. Pumpernickel, in other words, literally means 'farting bastard'.

Presumably the word was applied to the bread in reference to its supposed indigestibility.

Pumpernickel is first found in English in the mid-eighteenth century, about a decade before Napoleon was born.