If lamb is called lamb, chicken called chicken, why isn't beef called Cow?

Answer 1

It's because english is a mixture of other languages - or rather other languages have influenced it during the years. Generally we have at least two words for most meats - it all goes back to the norman conquest, where the ruling classes spoke french, and the peasants spoke anglo saxon. Hence sheep - but in french sheep is mouton - which is french for lamb. Likewise Porc - pork. The french words got used for the choicer cuts, and the anglo saxon ones for the less choice ones.

Answer 2

not exactly correct...

Lamb is young sheep's meat, and Mutton is a mature animal. England sells most of its mutton to France.

Chicken, is also a young Forest fowl's meat, and the adult is called a Broiler, but the name has been used to refer to the animal now.

Young Cow's meat is caled veal, mature animals are termed beef.

Deer meat is Venison
Pig meat is Pork

The innards have different names too, Chittlinhgs are beef intestines. Tripe is pig intestines.

the difference arises from the fact that our ruling class in Plantangenat times spoke french, and refered to the product (meat) by the Norman French term, where as the poor who raised the animals used the AEnglish word. Meats with the same name as the animal were food for the poorer people.

Duck, Rabbit, Eel, Oysters, and the intestines of most animals.

Answer 3

Because beef is actually from cattle, mostly heifers and steers not cows. Cows are mature female cattle that have given birth. I have no idea why beef isn't called cattle, but hog meat is usually called pork also and chicken is sometimes called poultry. Also, someone else mentioned mutton and mutton is meat from a sheep over a year and a half old.

Answer 4

I believe we call it beef from the French "boeuf" and, for that matter, pork is from "porc" not pig.

This dates back to the times of the Norman Conquest when the ruling classes spoke French and probably got absorbed into the language as being a sign of being refined and having money - in other words being a member of the French speaking ruling classes. Perhaps beef and pork were the most expensive meats back then... not sure about that though.

Answer 5

Beef is callled beef because it come from the french word 'Beof'
When the Normans first came here it was only the rich who could afford beef. And that is what they called it.

Answer 6

because there is more than one type of cow and the meat differs from one to the other and beef is a collective would to intertwine them as a whole its like wild game u have all sorts of it but one would for it all. u do know what is wild game eg: kudu ,reindeer, snake etc

Answer 7

Think of it this way Sheep is called mutton not sheep so beef is called beef and veal is called veal not calf

Answer 8

Lamb = mutton.
Chicken = poultry.
Cow = beef.
Pig = pork.

Answer 9

Because it is bull. We don't eat cows, we milk them. But why beef isn't called bull, I don't know.

Answer 10

I will ask the butcher for 2kilos of his best cow tomoro!