Etymology Map
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Bacon

3 stages from Frankish to English.

Today it means cured meat from the back or sides of a pig

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

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

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.