bacon

Where does the word "bacon" come from? It comes from Frankish bakkô, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Bacon’s story begins in Frankish: bakkô meant “back, side of meat.” A Germanic word for the back, related to English 'back'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as bacon. Used for a side or flitch of pork cut from the animal's back. It reached English by 1300s as bacon. Narrowed to cured pork; 'bring home the bacon' dates from the early 1900s. Today, bacon means cured meat from the back or sides of a pig.

1. Stage 1 · Frankish · ancient bakkô "back, side of meat", a Germanic word for the back, related to English 'back'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval bacon "side of pork", used for a side or flitch of pork cut from the animal's back.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s bacon "cured pork", narrowed to cured pork; 'bring home the bacon' dates from the early 1900s.