English
boeuf
Boeuf comes from French bœuf ‘ox’, from Middle French bœuf ‘ox (animal)’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws ‘cattle’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷṓws‘cattle’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷōs‘cow’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbovem‘ox’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400buef‘cow’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600bœuf‘ox (animal)’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘ox’
- Englishearliest quotation 1601boeuf
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷṓws‘cattle’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gʷōs‘cow’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbovem‘ox’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400buef‘cow’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600bœuf‘ox (animal)’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘ox’
- Englishearliest quotation 1601boeuf
Earliest quotation: 1601, Caius Plinius Secundus [i.e., [Book VIII.] Of Scythian beasts, and those that are bred in : “Howbeit, that country bringeth forth certain kinds of goodly…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws ‘cattle’
cow, buffalo, boa, bulimia, bucolic, gopi, 9 more
through Proto-Italic *gʷōs ‘cow’
through Latin bovem ‘ox’
Today it means
noun A bovine.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws / boeuf