Regarding why this "rubbing and pressing" motion is called kneading, there's a history of linguistic evolution and a very vivid description of the action behind it. The word has persisted to this day because it accurately captures the essence of this type of operation.
We can look at the origin of this name from several interesting perspectives:
1. Traces of Ancient Languages
This word has a very long history, its roots tracing back to ancient German and Indo-European languages.
Original meaning: In its earliest form, the ancestor of this word meant "to compress" or "to knead into a ball."
Evolution of pronunciation: Although there is a silent "K" in the current spelling, a long time ago, that "K" was pronounced, sounding like the crisp sound of bones or joints when force is applied.
2. Precise Description of the Action
The reason it's called this is because the action isn't simply stirring, but a combination of movements.
Pushing and pulling: When you (or a kneader machine) are working, the action involves pushing the dough out with the base of your palm and then folding it back.
Squeezing sensation: This name vividly expresses the feeling of "forcefully pressing something to make it blend together." If you just stir something in water with a stick, that's stirring; only when you use your whole body's strength to deal with that sticky mass is it called kneading.
3. Shaping the "Structure"
In the culture of making dough-based foods, this name carries the meaning of "giving life."
Developing gluten: Flour itself is loose; only through continuous kneading do the ingredients connect like a woven net, creating elasticity.
Changing texture: This transformation from "a pile of loose particles" to "elasticity" was considered a powerful operation by ancient people, so this word was specifically used to distinguish it from simple mixing.
4. Legacy in the Mechanical Age
When the Industrial Revolution arrived and people invented machines to replace manual labor, they naturally inherited this word.
Personification: Although industrial kneaders are made of steel, their paddles mimic the pushing, squeezing, tearing, and pulling actions of human hands. Function Definition: This name was chosen to inform users that this machine is not for blending juice, but rather for "kneading heavy ingredients" like a skilled craftsman.
5. The "Massage" Sensation in Everyday Life
Interestingly, in English, this word is sometimes used when describing deep tissue massage.
This indicates that the name inherently carries the characteristic of "penetrating deep and repeatedly applying pressure." Whether it's kneading dough or massaging muscles, the process of softening and homogenizing the tissue through pressure falls under the category of kneading.
