In other languages there is also a separation between the meat and the animal and there is no Norman/Anglo-Saxon explanation to fall back on. What Chinese, Thai and Indians call Buffalo are called Bubalus. Most Indic religions do not appreciate killing cattle and eating beef. Why is cow called “beef” and pig called “pork”? Other Words That Changed Claire Waggoner. I mean, we call lamb chops lamb chops. When you stop and think about it, it’s actually quite strange that pig meat is called “pork,” cow meat is called “beef,” sheep meat is called “mutton,” and deer meat is called “venison.”What’s even stranger is that chicken meat is still called “chicken,” and fish is “fish.”So what gives? That beef comes from cows is known to most, but the close relationship between the words beef and cow is hardly household knowledge. In addition, a "craft beef" phenomenon is currently taking root in Japan with the emergence of artisanal beef varietals such as Shinshu Apple Beef, Olive-fed Beef from Shodoshima, Osaka Umechan Beef, Hokkaido Snow Beef and many more. However, they do not consider the cow to be a god. The same goes for pig--why isn't it "pig chops" rather than pork chops? Why didn’t poulet (or pullet) stick in English, the way pork and beef have? Log in to reply to the answers Post; ffl04122007. Why is cow meat called beef not just just called cow? Why is chicken meat called chicken, but cow meat is called beef and pig meat is called pork? Answer Save. This story goes back to October 14, 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, like a schoolyard bully piling on to an exhausted rival, defeated the forces of Harold Godwinson, Anglo-Saxon King of England, at the Battle of Hastings. What does it stand for? save hide report. Apparently, this is left over from French nobility. Answer Save. It does sound strange to say "pig" or "cow" when referencing a meal or a specific type of meat, but why don't we? EDIT: I forgot, that what Americans call Buffalo are BISON. When eating cow it`s called BEEF pig is called PORK why is chicken called CHICKEN? The meat from Cattle is called Beef. Your question confuses species with gender. I don't know. It’s Not the COW, it’s the HOW: New Study Shows Grass-fed Beef Can be a Carbon Sink We hear it all the time – cattle are blamed for releasing tons of methane gas, which contributes to global warming. In Japan, there are over 300 brands of beef in addition to Kobe Beef, including other so-called luxury beef brands such as Matsusaka, Ohmi and Saga beef. Cow and/or cattle meat is called Beef, regardless what class or type of bovine it came from. Cow comes via Middle English from Old English c, which is descended from the Indo-European root *gwou–, also meaning “cow.” This root has descendants in most of the branches of the Indo-European language family. Why is chicken meat called chicken, but cow meat is called beef and pig meat is called pork? From answers.com: WORD HISTORY That beef comes from cows is known to most, but the close relationship between the words beef and cow is hardly household knowledge. It's like that in two other languages, at least. ... Angus beef does not come from any part of any cow, but comes from a BREED of cattle (or cows) called Angus. Language is funny sometimes, especially the English language. Not only is English an incredibly difficult language to learn but there are so many different words for the same thing depending on where you are. The French referred to cow as boeuf, which then got morphed to today's beef. That may indeed be the provenance but not the cause. For whatever reason, in English, poultry aren’t given distinct names when their “goose is cooked,” so to speak. Back in the day the lower class people mostly spoke germanic language. 29 Answers. i was asked this question and i didn't know the answer. Asked in Cows and Cattle Where do cow meat go? Beef is from the French "boeuf" which means cow, and por from the French "porc", pig.Likewise mutton is from the French "mouton" sheep. I believe it was done this way to dissociate the meat from the animal so people don't have to think about where it came from whenever they eat it. It does sound strange to say "pig" or "cow" when referencing a meal or a specific type of meat, but why don't we? “Beef” – what is it? why is beef not called cow & why is pork not called pig when lamb is called lamb & chicken is called chicken? Q: Why is Kobe Beef so marbled? 1 decade ago. The French words stuck and that is how we got the word beef and not cow, which makes sense, seeing as how French words tend to litter the English language.