Etymology Map
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Veal

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the meat of a young calf

Where does the word "veal" come from? It comes from Latin vitellus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
vitellus
Latin · ancient
"little calf"
a diminutive of 'vitulus', calf, a word possibly tied to 'vetus', a yearling
2
Stage 2 of 3
veel
Old French · medieval
"calf; calf meat"
Norman nobles ate the meat while English farmhands kept raising the 'calf'
3
Stage 3 of 3
veal
English · 1300s
"the meat of a calf"
one of several pairs where the French word names the meat and the English word names the animal
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Read the full story

Veal’s story begins in Latin: vitellus meant “little calf.” A diminutive of 'vitulus', calf, a word possibly tied to 'vetus', a yearling. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as veel. Norman nobles ate the meat while English farmhands kept raising the 'calf'. It reached English by 1300s as veal. One of several pairs where the French word names the meat and the English word names the animal. Today, veal means the meat of a young calf.