Hi guys, Freya here!
Now I’m not at university anymore, it’s nice to try and share some things I learnt when I was studying English language.. Today, I thought I could discuss the differentiated language between animals on a farm and animals people eat. In English, there is not always a clear distinction between the two, for example, pig becomes pork, cow becomes beef and sheep becomes mutton.
The Anglo-Saxon language (which was a Germanic language) is the earliest historical form of the English language, but in 1066, after the Norman’s invaded, French words were added to the mix. included included on …. food !!
This means that the Anglo-Saxons became the lower / working classes and the French the upper. This meant that the Anglo-Saxons were the hunters and farmers, naming the animals in the fields, and the French were the ones eating them at the dinner table, naming the food.
Anglo – Saxon : Pig
French : Porc ( anglicized – pork).
Anglo – Saxon: Cow
French : Boeuf (anglicized – beef).
French: Mouton (anglicised – mutton).
You may then ask: Why does ‘chicken’ still retain the word ‘chicken’ at the dinner table? Well, at this time, chickens would have been readily available to all. Therefore, the lower class Anglo-Saxon name would have kept its place in society.
I questioned the origins of fish whilst writing this too. In English, we still say ‘fish‘ at the dinner table which is the same name as those in the ocean. Research informed me that this could be because the French word for fish, ‘poisson‘, is too closely linked to the English word ‘poison’ and consequently wouldn’t want to be used at the dinner table. Interesting, huh?
The animal names in the English language derive from the Anglo Saxons.
The animal names that people eat derive from French after the Norman invasion.
The English language is formed of so many wonderful languages, it is always interesting to see where in the world a singular word can travel from. I always recommend looking at a word’s etymology – it could surprise you!
I live and work in the UK and have a degree in English Language and Literature. When I am not on Fruitful, I work as a teaching assistant at a school. I am passionate about the environment and love to travel and read.