English
abattage
Abattage comes from French abattage ‘slaughter or butchering for meat’, from Middle French abbatre ‘to knock down’, and ultimately from Latin battere.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to butcher’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentabattage‘slaughter or butchering for meat’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to butcher’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentabattage‘slaughter or butchering for meat’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Latin battere
through Late Latin abbattere
through Old French abatre ‘to knock over’
Today it means
noun The slaughter of animals, especially diseased ones to limit the spread of the disease.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin battere / abattage