- calf
- O.E. cealf (Anglian cælf) "young cow," from W.Gmc. *kalbam (cf. M.Du. calf, O.N. kalfr, Ger. Kalb, Goth. kalbo), perhaps from PIE *gelb(h)-, from base *gel- "to swell," hence, "womb, fetus, young of an animal." Elliptical sense of "leather made from the skin of a calf" is from 1727. Used of icebergs that break off from glaciers from 1818. Calf of the leg (early 14c.) is from O.N. kalfi, source unknown; possibly from the same Germanic root.
- veal
- late 14c., from Anglo-Fr. vel, from O.Fr. veel "a calf" (Fr. veau), earlier vedel, from L. vitellus, dim. of vitulus "calf," perhaps originally "yearling," if related, as some think, to Skt. vatsah "calf," lit. "yearling;" Goth. wiþrus, O.E. weðer (see wether; cf. also veteran).
- pare
- "to trim by cutting close," c.1320, from O.Fr. parer "arrange, prepare, trim," from L. parare "make ready," related to parere "produce, bring forth, give birth to," from PIE base *per- "to bring forward, bring forth" (cf. Lith. pariu "to brood," Gk. poris "calf, bull," O.H.G. farro, Ger. Farre "bullock," O.E. fearr "bull," Skt. prthukah "child, calf, young of an animal," Czech spratek "brat, urchin, premature calf"). Generalized meaning "to reduce something little by little" is from 1530.
- calve
- O.E. cealfian, from cealf "calf" (see calf). Of icebergs, 1837.
- wether
- O.E. weðer "ram," from P.Gmc. *wethruz (cf. O.S. wethar, O.N. veðr, O.H.G. widar, Ger. Widder, Goth. wiþrus "lamb"), lit. "yearling," from PIE base *wet- "year" (cf. Skt. vatsah "calf," Gk. etalon "yearling," L. vitulus "calf," lit. "yearling"). Male sheep, especially a castrated one.
- dogie
- "motherless calf in a herd," 1888, cowboy slang.
- moon-calf
- also mooncalf, "abortive, shapeless, fleshy mass," 1560s, attributed to the influence of the moon. Later 16c., "deformed creature, monster."
- maverick
- 1867, "calf or yearling found without an owner's brand," in allusion to Samuel A. Maverick (1803-1870), Texas cattle owner who was negligent in branding his calves. Sense of "individualist, unconventional person" is first recorded 1886, via notion of "masterless."
- vellum
- c.1430, from O.Fr. velin "parchment made from calfskin," from vel, veel "calf" (see veal).
- heifer
- O.E. heahfore, of unknown origin, not found outside Eng. The first element seems to be heah "high," common in O.E. compounds with a sense of "great in size." The second element may be related to O.E. fearr "bull," or to O.E. faran "to go" (giving the whole a sense of "high-stepper"); but there are serious sense difficulties with both conjectures. In modern use, "a female that has not yet calved," as opposed to a cow, which has calved, and a calf, which is an animal of either sex not more than a year old. As derisive slang for "a woman, girl" it dates from 1835.
- bratwurst
- 1911, from Ger. Bratwurst, from wurst + Brät "lean meat, finely chipped calf or swine meat," from O.H.G. brato (12c.), from P.Gmc. *bred-on- "roast flesh" (cf. O.E. bræde "meat"), from PIE *bhreue- (see brawn). Ger. folk etymology derives it from braten "to roast, bake, broil, grill;" more likely both are fom the same ancient source.
- Italian
- 1422, "native of Italy," from It. Italiano, from Italia "Italy," from L. Italia, probably from a Gk. alteration of Oscan Viteliu "Italy," but originally only the southwestern point of the peninsula, perhaps originally "land of cattle," related to L. vitulus "calf," or else a tribal name from an Illyrian word of unknown meaning. Italianate (1572) is from It. Italianato "rendered Italian," from Italiano.
- bear (n.)
- O.E. bera "bear," from P.Gmc. *beron "the brown one" (cf. O.N. björn, Ger. Bär), from PIE *bher- (3) "bright, brown" (see brown). Greek arktos and Latin ursus retain the PIE root word for "bear" (*rtko), but it is believed to have been ritually replaced in the northern branches because of hunters' taboo on names of wild animals (cf. the Ir. equivalent "the good calf," Welsh "honey-pig," Lith. "the licker," Rus. medved "honey-eater"). Others connect the Germanic word with Latin ferus "wild," as if it meant "the wild animal (par excellence) of the northern woods." Symbolic of Russia since 1794. Used of uncouth persons since 1570s. Meaning "speculator for a fall" is 1709 shortening of bearskin jobber (from the proverb sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear); i.e. "one who sells stock for future delivery, expecting that meanwhile prices will fall." Paired with bull from c.1720.