calf etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: calf, from Old English cealf, cognate with Old Norse kalfr, Old Saxon kalb, Old High German kalb, Dutch kalf, German Kalb.
• The ultimate origin is Proto-Germanic *kalbaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵhelbh-, meaning "womb".

Meaning:

• A young bovine animal, especially one less than a year old.
• The thick fleshy part of the back of the human leg below the knee.

Origin:

• The word "calf" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵhelbh-, which also gave rise to the words "womb" and "guts". This suggests that the original meaning of the word "calf" was related to the reproductive system of cows.
• In Old English, the word cealf referred specifically to a young calf.
• The meaning of the word "calf" was later extended to include the fleshy part of the human leg below the knee. This is likely due to the similarity in shape and size between a calf's leg and a human's calf.

calf relate terms

• calve

  Etymology The word calve comes from the Middle English word calven which in turn co

• calf

  Etymology Middle English calf from Old English cealf cognate with Old Norse kalfr O

• moon calf

  Etymology The term moon calf originates from two Old English words mona moon c

• moon

  Etymology The word moon originates from the Old English word mōna which in turn co

• calf

  Etymology Middle English calf from Old English cealf cognate with Old Norse kalfr O

• bratwurst

  Etymology German Bratwurst Derived from Middle Low German brātwurst meaning roast

• heifer

  Etymology of Heifer The word heifer comes from the Old English word heahfore which i

• rennet

  Etymology and Origin The word rennet originates from Middle English rennet which is

• dogie

  Etymology Dogie is a slang term for a young unbranded steer It originates from the

• Italy

  Etymology and Meaning Latin Italia land of the calves Derived from the ancient Gre

• prairie oyster

  Etymology Prairie oyster is a culinary term that originated in the American West It is

• shank

  Etymology The word shank is derived from the Old English term sceanca meaning leg

• kine

  Etymology The word kine comes from the Old English word cynn meaning kind or rac

• Nike

  Etymology and Origin The name Nike originates from the Greek goddess of victory Νίκ