Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “corned beef” come from?

corned beef (English) comes from English chief, from Middle English chef, from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

corned beef (English): Smoke-cured and salted beef; Beef conserved in...

Definitions

  1. Smoke-cured and salted beef; Beef conserved in...

Ancestry of “corned beef”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchiefA leader or head of a group of people,...
2Middle EnglishchefA leader, boss, or director; a chief official;...
3Old Frenchchiefhead; leader, chief; front
4Vulgar Latincapumhead, chief; head
5Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
6Proto-Italickaputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “corned beef”

  • コーンビーフ
  • 콘비프
  • 콘드 비프
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →