poultry

Where does the word "poultry" come from? It comes from Latin pullus, passing through Old French and Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Poultry’s story begins in Latin: pullus meant “young animal, chick.” Used for the young of any animal, then especially for chicks. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as pouletrie. Formed from 'poulet', a young fowl, plus the collective ending -erie. From there it passed into Middle English as pultrie by 1300s. Also meant the poultry market; London still has a street called Poultry. It reached English by 1500s as poultry. Settled as the general term for farmed birds. Today, poultry means chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pullus "young animal, chick", used for the young of any animal, then especially for chicks.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval pouletrie "domestic fowl collectively", formed from 'poulet', a young fowl, plus the collective ending -erie.
3. Stage 3 · Middle English · 1300s pultrie "domestic fowl; a poultry market", also meant the poultry market; London still has a street called Poultry.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1500s poultry "domestic birds kept for eggs or meat", settled as the general term for farmed birds.