simnel: [13] Simnel, a term now used for a cake made at Easter, originally denoted ‘bread made from fine flour’. It was borrowed from Old French simenel, which itself came from either Latin simila (source of English semolina) or Greek semídālis, both meaning ‘fine flour’.
"sweet cake," c. 1200, from Old French simenel "fine wheat flour; flat bread cake, Lenten cake," probably by dissimilation from Vulgar Latin *siminellus (also source of Old High German semala "the finest wheat flour," German Semmel "a roll"), a diminutive of Latin simila "fine flour" (see semolina).
