north. Eng. Forms: ? 5, 6–8 janock(e, 6 jannacke, janok(e, 7 janack, 7– jannock. [A north. Engl., esp. Lancash., word, of obscure origin. Not Sc.] A loaf of leavened oaten bread.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., vii. 120. A Ianock [v.r. jannacke] of Lancashyre.
1584. Cogan, Haven Health, vii. (1636), 30. Of Oates they make bread … some in broad Loaves which they cal Ianocks.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv. (1746), 331. Had Galen seen the Oaten Cakes of the North, the Janocks of Lancashire, and the Grues of Cheshire, he would have confessed that Oats and Oatmeal are not only Meat for Beasts, but also for tall, fair and strong Men and Women.
c. 1746. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lanc. Dial., Wks. (1862), 40. ’Twur Seign Peawnd t’a tuppunny Jannock, I’d bin os deeod os o Dur Nele.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xiv. Mattie [in Northumberland] gae us baith a drap skimmed milk, and ane o’ her thick ait jannocks that was as wat and raw as a divot. O for the bonnie girdle cakes o’ the North!
1825. Brockett, Jannock, leavened oat bread.
1855. E. Waugh, Lancash. Life (1857), 58. Content with water-pottage, buttermilk, and jannock, till he was between thirteen and fourteen years of age.
attrib. 1694. Thoresby, Diary (Hunter), I. 268. Jannock bread and clap-cakes the best that gold could purchase.
