beef
/biːf/
noun
Origin
Latin
bos — ox, cow
Overview
Meaning Now
- The flesh of a cow, steer, or bull used as food.
- A complaint or grievance.
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
boef
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, French became the language of the aristocracy. This created a linguistic divide where the animal remained 'cow' (from Old English 'cū') in the fields tended by peasants, while the meat served on the tables of the nobility was referred to as 'beef' (from Anglo-Norman 'boef').
Evolution
- Latin
bovem
“ox (accusative of bos)”
- Old French
buef
“ox”
- Middle English
boef
“ox, cow flesh”
Introduced after the Norman Conquest
- Modern English
beef
“flesh of cattle”
Connections
Word parts
beef
root
cattle
Related across languages
French
bœuf
ox or beef
Spanish
buey
ox
Italian
bue
ox
Explore next
Related to beef
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.