Bannocks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of unleavened bread, often made from oatmeal or barley flour, typically cooked on a griddle or over an open flame
2. A traditional Scottish or Irish flatbread made with various grains, served in various forms and often associated with rustic cooking
3. A round, thick bread commonly prepared in certain regions, generally characterized by a hearty texture and often enjoyed alongside meals

Etymology: "Bannocks" is simply the plural of "bannock," so the word's story is the story of its singular form. The Old English "bannuc" is attested as the ancestor of the Middle English "bannoke" and the modern word, and its origin is traced to a Goidelic (Gaelic) word. Irish "bonnóg," Manx "bonnag," and Scottish Gaelic "bonnach" all share this root, which makes "bannock" a doublet of "bonnag," two forms of one word that entered English by different routes. The most debated link runs back to Latin. Some scholars suggest the Gaelic word may descend from Latin "pānicum," meaning "millet," a grain that would have fit a flatbread made from coarse cereals. The connection is possible but not certain, so the grain-based origin is better treated as a plausible guess than as settled fact.

Synonyms: flatbread, scone