The word “beef” is familiar to all food lovers. If you remember other types of meat, for example, lamb, pork, then by their names you can find out about their origin. But it is not clear why the meat of a cow or bull is called beef. This question was even asked on a “direct line” with the President of Russia on June 7, 2018. The answer was not announced then, but later linguists explained the origin of the term.
Why is cow meat called beef and not cow meat?
The mystery lies in the Old Church Slavonic language. In ancient times, cows and bulls were called by the same word “beef” or “govedo”.So beef is meat taken from beef. Over time, the word disappeared from speech, but its derivative remained to denote meat products.
According to Dahl, mostly bulls were called beef. In the Middle Ages, bull meat was consumed as food, and cows were preserved to produce milk. But in the designation of meat products, the division into masculine and feminine genders is not used. Also, bull meat is of higher quality than cow meat.
If you look at the names of cows in many languages of the world, you will find a striking similarity with “gou”. The table shows how the word "cow" sounds in some Indo-European groups.
| Language | The word "cow" |
| English | cow |
| Norwegian | ku |
| German | kuh |
| Tajik | gov |
| Armenian | Կով (kov) |
Subsequently, “govedo” was replaced by “byki” in all Slavic languages. Now what remains of this term is “beef”.
Is the old name for bulls still used today?
In the Russian language today, “beef” is practically not used. You can find it in religious literature, in ancient chronicles. It is also present in the works of writers, for example, in the poem by A.K. Tolstoy “Sometimes on Merry May...”, written in 1871, there are lines:
"Where are the fatty beef
We fed on roast meat.”
The word was forced out of the Russian language by the abbreviation KRS at the beginning of the 20th century, and can sometimes be heard in Siberian dialects. In some Slavic languages, "beef" or "govedo" is used to designate cattle. Thus, in Bulgarian speech cattle are called “goveda”, and in Slovenian speech – “govedo”.
What is calf meat called?
Beef is the meat of cattle. In addition to linguistic reasons, there is another reason for such “disguise”. Cow meat is inferior in taste to products made from bull.
Therefore, the cow was rarely taken to slaughter. By combining cattle products under one word, you can sell second-class meat under the guise of high-quality meat.
Calves are the best “source” of first-class meat products, which are called “veal”. In Western countries, veal or ox products are used for cooking. They do not have the concept of “beef”. Cows and oxen are considered second-class raw materials. Restaurants and cafes usually prepare dishes from veal, less often from bulls.
In Russia, in cooking, beef is divided into 3 types:
- Veal is the meat of calves, no younger than 2 weeks old and no older than 3 months. The highest quality and most delicious product.
- Young beef - carcasses of calves, no younger than 3 months and no older than 3 years.
- Beef - meat products from cattle over 3 years old.
The most prized variety is marbled veal. For this purpose, young cattle are fed on a special diet. The result is red meat with streaks of fat that resemble the pattern on marble. The word "beef" is so ingrained in everyday life that most people don't realize that the term has an interesting etymology. The term, which has passed through centuries, reveals the general pages of world history.
