Dear jmk,
Strictly speaking, the correct spelling is "kummelweck". This is
because it is not an English word; rather, it's German. The original
German spelling is "Kümmelweck". "Kümmel" means "caraway", and "Weck"
is a regional southern German term for "roll" or "bun". So the word
means, literally, "caraway roll" - a roll with a layer of caraway on
the outside.
The English language does not know the "ü"-umlaut, so it became a
simple "u" in this word. However, the alternate spelling "kimmelweck"
is closer to what the German pronunciation sounds.
I would like to add that I enjoyed this question. I am German, and I
did not know that this word found only in Southern Germany had somehow
made its way to the United States. So I learned something new
myself...
Search terms used:
kümmel kimmelweck
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=k%C3%BCmmel+kimmelweck&btnG=Suche
kummelweck weck
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=kummelweck+weck&btnG=Suche
weck brötchen
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=weck+br%C3%B6tchen&btnG=Suche
kümmelweck
://www.google.de/search?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=k%C3%BCmmelweck&btnG=Suche&meta=lr%3Dlang_de
Sources:
Wegmans: Charlie the Butcher, Beef on Weck, Wegmans
http://www.wegmans.com/about/pressRoom/pressReleases/charliethebutcher.asp
New York Folklore Society: Buffalo's other Claim to Fame
http://www.nyfolklore.org/pubs/voic29-1-2/buffalo.html
Best regards,
Scriptor |
