Where does “cowflesh” come from?
cowflesh (English) comes from English flesh, from Middle English flesh, from Old English flǣsċ, from Proto-West Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Germanic flaiski, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁ḱ- — to tear, peel off; to tear, rend.
cowflesh (English): The meat or flesh of a cow; beef
Definitions
- The meat or flesh of a cow; beef
Ancestry of “cowflesh”, step by step
cowflesh traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English flesh
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flesh | The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle... |
| 2 | Middle English | flesh | flesh; A communion wafer; A muscle |
| 3 | Old English | flǣsċ | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | flaiski | meat, flesh |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flaiski | meat, flesh |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁ḱ- | to tear, peel off; to tear, rend |