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cow

Etymology and origin of the English word cow

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English has two words spelled cow: the female of cattle, inherited from Old English, and the verb meaning to intimidate, probably from Old Norse.[1][2][3]

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kaʊ/ (US)[4]

cow1 female of cattle

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
before 800
Inherited from
Old English cū
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*gʷṓws)

Etymology

It is Middle English cu, inherited from Old English cū (“cow”),[1][3][5] from Proto-Germanic *kwōz, earlier *kwom,[3][6] source also of Old Frisian ku, Dutch koe, German Kuh and Old Norse kýr,[3][1] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *gwou- (“ox, bull, cow”), also the source of Latin bos, Greek βοῦς (boûs) and Sanskrit गो (gáu-).[3][6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The female of a bovine animal: before 800 in Barnhart and the OED.[1][7]

Semantic evolution

The old plural was kine (ky, kyn), and the plural cows is from 1607.[7][5] The female of other large animals, such as elephants and whales, is from the late 14th century.[3] An insulting word for a woman is from the 1690s.[3] Word Origins notes the expression till the cows come home, for a very long time.[2]

Timeline

  • before 800 – a cow.[1][7]
  • late 14th century – the female of other large animals.[3]
  • 1607 – the plural cows.[7]
  • 1690s – an insult for a woman.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A fully grown female of domestic cattle, kept for milk or meat.
  2. The female of certain other large animals, such as the elephant, whale or seal.
  3. (offensive) An unpleasant or stupid woman.

Word family

  • cowboy
  • cowhide
  • cowslip

cow2 to intimidate

Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1605
Borrowed from
Old Norse kúga
Ultimate origin
Old Norse (kúga)

Etymology

It is probably borrowed from Old Norse kúga (“to force, oppress”),[1][3][2] compare Danish and Norwegian kue, to cow, subdue,[1][5] of unknown origin;[1][3] Etymonline suggests a connection with the Scandinavian words for cow, perhaps from the idea of making docile.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To intimidate: 1605, in Shakespeare's Macbeth.[1] Etymonline dates it to about 1600.[3]

Semantic evolution

It means to subdue someone's spirit by threats or violence.[8][9]

Timeline

  • 1605 – to intimidate.[1]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To frighten into submission; to intimidate.

Word family

  • cowed

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  2. ^ a b c Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  9. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins

Related etymologies

  • hit · also from Old Norse
  • likely · also from Old Norse
  • trust · also from Old Norse
  • die · also from Old Norse
  • mark · also from Old Norse
  • ball · also from Old Norse
  • skin · also from Old Norse
  • fell · also from Old Norse
Cite this entry

“Cow.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cow. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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