sirloin English · revision 1215

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈsɝlɔɪn/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''surloine'', ''surloyne'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) [[der|frm|surlonge|t=upper part of the loin]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[af|fro|sur|loigne|t1=over, above|t2=loin]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) The French preposition comes from [[la|super]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate) The spelling with ''sir-'' appeared in the 17th century^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and may have been influenced by [[sir]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A cut of beef (before 1425 in Barnhart, as ''surloyne'');^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) the OED's first quotation, for the upper and better part of the loin, is from 1554.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A story that an English king knighted the cut for its excellence dates to Fuller's ''Church-History of Britain'' (1655),^(Etymonline) but Etymonline finds no evidence for it;^(Etymonline) the tale was told variously of Henry VIII, James I and Charles II.^(Etymonline) Puns on ''Sir Loin'' are recorded from 1630.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1425 – ''surloyne'', a cut of beef.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1554 – the upper part of a loin of beef.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1620s – spelling ''sirloin''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1655 – the “knighted” story in Fuller.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A cut of [[beef]] from the upper part of the [[loin]], just in front of the [[rump]] or round.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In British use, a cut from the middle of the back, roughly the American [[short loin]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[loin]]

+ * [[sur-]]

+ * [[sir]]

+ * [[surname]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}