Beef Is French, Cow Is English
Beef is the meat of cattle. The split between animal and meat words dates from the Norman Conquest.
Beef is the meat of cattle. The word records a social division after 1066: English-speaking peasants tended the *cow*, while French-speaking lords ate the *boeuf*. The same split gave *pig* and *pork*, *sheep* and *mutton*, *calf* and *veal* — the living animal keeps its English name, the meat takes a French one. *Beef* also means a complaint or grievance, American from the 1880s, and *to have a beef with someone* is now standard informal English.
- Cattle meat. *Roast beef.*
- A complaint. *A beef with someone.*
- Cow — the animal. *A cow.*
- Boeuf — the French source. *Boeuf.*
- Latin — *bos*, an ox. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | beef | Beef. |
| Plural | beefs | Beefs. |
| Verb | beef | Beef about it. |
| Adjective | beefy | Beefy. |
| French | boeuf | Beef. |
- Roast beef and gravy.Food.
- He has a beef with the referee.Complaint.
- Cow is English, beef is French.History.
Animal and meat after 1066
- Cow / beef — from French *boeuf*
- Pig / pork — from *porc*
- Sheep / mutton — from *mouton*
- Calf / veal — from *veau*
- Deer / venison — from *venaison*
Old French *boef*, from Latin *bos*, an ox or cow, related to Greek *bous*.
Why is the meat French and the animal English?
After the Norman Conquest, English-speaking peasants raised the animals while French-speaking lords ate the meat, so each got its own vocabulary.
Why does beef mean a complaint?
An American usage from the 1880s of uncertain origin, possibly from soldiers complaining about the quality of their beef rations.