VOA慢速英语--Pig or Pork? Cow or Beef？

 

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

On this program we often talk about the origins of words and expressions that we use in American English. We also talk about how we use them in everyday conversations.

Today we talk about animals--and animals we eat. In English, these two categories often have different names. Pigs turn into pork. Cows turn into beef. Sheep is mutton. Calves¹ are veal². And deer is venison.

But why do we call these animals different names when we prepare them for a meal? Why is it “pig” on the farm but "pork" in a sandwich?

The answer is the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066. That is when many French words became part of the English language. Many of those French words related to the battlefield, such as “army” and “royal.” Many related to government and taxation³.

And many others related to food.

When animals were in the stable or on the farm, they kept their Old English names: pig, cow, sheep and calf⁴. But when they were cooked and brought to the table, an English version of the French word was used: pork (porc), beef (beouf), mutton (mouton) and veal (veau).

On several websites, word experts claim that this change shows a class difference between the Anglo-Saxons and the French in Britain at the time of the conquest.

Because the lower-class Anglo-Saxons were the hunters, they used the Old English names for animals. But the upper-class French saw these animals only at mealtimes. So, they used the French word to describe the prepared dishes. Today, modern English speakers — regardless of social class — have come to use both.

However, the words “deer" and "venison," however, are a bit more complicated.

Etymology⁵ Online says "venison" comes from an Old French word from the 1300s (venesoun) meaning "'meat of large game,' especially deer or boar." And that Old French word comes from a Latin word (venation) meaning "a hunt, hunting, or the chase."

Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, any hunted animal was called venison after it was killed. And probably because deer were killed more than any other animal, “venison” came to mean “deer meat.”

However, “chicken” and “fish” remain largely unchanged.

However, sometimes we use the word "poultry⁶" when talking about buying a chicken, turkey, or other similar bird to eat. For example, a grocery store may have a place called “the poultry section.”

But we don't use "poultry" when we order chicken or turkey at a restaurant, or serve it at a meal. We simply say "chicken" or “turkey.”

For example, if I want to order my favorite dish, which is popular in the southern part of the United States, I will say, "I’ll have the chicken and waffles, please." I would never order "poultry and waffles."

Lesser⁷ common birds, such as quail⁸ and pheasant, simply go by their own names.

What about fish?

The French word for "fish" is "poisson." Some word experts suspect that "poisson" is too close to the English word "poison" to become a common food word.

After all, even the food-rich culture of France cannot overcome the fact that eating poison might kill you or at least make you sick. As a result, anything that even sounds like “poison” will probably be an unpopular choice at mealtimes.

And that bring us to the end of another Words and Their Stories.

In your language, do the words for animals change when you eat them? Let us know in the Comments Section!

Thanks for joining us. I'm Anna Matteo.

Words in This Story

category – n. a group of people or things that are similar in some way

Norman Conquest – This major event in history is when William, duke of Normandy, took control of England. His important victory at the Battle of Hastings (Oct. 14, 1066) resulted in profound political, administrative⁹, and social changes in the British Isles¹⁰

conquest – n. the act of taking control of a country, city, etc., through the use of force

royal – adj. of, relating to, or subject to the crown

stable – n. a building in which animals are kept, fed, and cared for

poultry – n. birds (such as chickens and ducks) that are raised on farms for their eggs or meat

quail – n. an Old World migratory¹¹ game bird : a kind of small wild bird that is often hunted

pheasant – n. a large bird that has a long tail and is often hunted for food or sport

overcome – v. to defeat (someone or something) : to successfully deal with or gain control of (something difficult)

1 calves   

n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解

参考例句：

• a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛
• The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 veal   

n.小牛肉

参考例句：

• She sauteed veal and peppers,preparing a mixed salad while the pan simmered.她先做的一道菜是青椒煎小牛肉，趁着锅还在火上偎着的机会，又做了一道拼盘。
• Marinate the veal in white wine for two hours.把小牛肉用白葡萄酒浸泡两小时。

3 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

4 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

5 etymology   

n.语源；字源学

参考例句：

• The hippies' etymology is contentious.关于嬉皮士的语源是有争议的。
• The origin of OK became the Holy Grail of etymology.OK的出典成了词源学梦寐以求的圣杯。

6 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

7 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

8 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

9 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

10 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

11 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。