English
pork
Pork comes from Old French porc ‘swine, hog, pig’, from Proto-Indo-European *pórḱos ‘piglet’, and ultimately from *perḱ- ‘colored’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perḱ-‘colored’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pórḱos‘piglet’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*porkos‘pig’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporcus‘domestic hog, pig’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400porc‘swine, hog, pig’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pork‘pork (pig meat)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perḱ-‘colored’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pórḱos‘piglet’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*porkos‘pig’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporcus‘domestic hog, pig’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400porc‘swine, hog, pig’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pork‘pork (pig meat)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978same form
Earliest quotation: 1978, Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney: “Marlene! Don't tell me you're gonna pork Marlene Desmond!”
The story
US politics sense is related to pork barrel.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- ‘colored’
perch, furlong, furrow, 11 more
through Proto-Indo-European *pórḱos ‘piglet’
through Latin porcus ‘domestic hog, pig’
Today it means
noun The meat of a pig.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- / pork