Where does “vache folle” come from?
vache folle (French) comes from French vache, from Old French vache, from Latin vacca, from Proto-Indo-European wokeh₂-.
vache folle (French): mad cow
Definitions
- mad cow
Ancestry of “vache folle”, step by step
vache folle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French vache
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | vache | cow; harsh; nasty |
| 2 | Old French | vache | cow |
| 3 | Latin | vacca | cow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wokeh₂- | — |
via French folle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | folle | feminine singular of fou; madwoman; queen |