cattle English · revision 7446

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1250|origins=la caput}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkæt(ə)l/ ''(UK)''; /ˈkæt̬(ə)l/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English catel, [[bor|xno|catel|t=property]], Old North French catel, a variant of Old French chatel,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from Medieval Latin [[m|la-med|capitale|t=property, stock]], the neuter of Latin [[m|la|capitalis|t=of the head, principal]], from [[m|la|caput|t=head]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) It is a doublet of [[chattel]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Property of any kind, including money, land or income: about 1250 in Barnhart, the mid-13th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Etymonline compares the sense development of [[fee]] and [[pecuniary]], also words for property drawn from livestock.^(Etymonline) Money or capital as distinct from interest is from about 1330.^(OED 1989) Livestock is from before 1325, and in later Middle English especially movable property, including horses, sheep and asses;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) it began to be limited to cows and bulls from the late 16th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1250 – property.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1325 – livestock.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1330 – capital (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * late 16th century – cows and bulls.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Large domesticated animals of the ox family, such as [[cow|alt=cows]], [[bull|alt=bulls]] and steers, kept for meat or milk.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Livestock in general.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cattleless]]

+ * [[catalo]]

+ * [[cattalo]]

+ * [[cattleman]]

+ * [[Australian cattle dog]]

+ * [[cattle call]]

+ * [[cattle car]]

+ * [[cattle grub]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capital]]

+ * [[chattel]]

+ * [[cap]]

+ * [[chief]]

+ * [[cow]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}