English culinary terms from French

During the Norman Conquest, the French were in control of the English speaking world. From this period, many law and culinary terms entered the English language.

As the English speaking lower classes dealt with the animal itself, these words remain in use in English for the animal. The French speaking higher classes rarely dealt with the animal and instead worked with the food.

Animal  |  Food  |  French

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Cow |  Beef |  bœuf
Calf |  Veal |  veau
Pig |  Pork |  porc
Sheep |  Mutton |  mouton
Chicken |  Poultry |  poulet