Etymology

pork

P3O1R1K5

Today it means: The meat of a pig. Full definition →

Middle English pork ← Old French porc ← Latin porcus
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

pork · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*perḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pórḱos
  3. Proto-Italic*porkos
  4. Latinporcus
  5. Old Frenchporc
  6. Middle Englishpork
  7. English todaypork

From Middle English pork, porc, via Anglo-Norman, from Old French porc (“swine, hog, pig; pork”), from Latin porcus (“domestic hog, pig”). Cognate with Old English fearh (“piglet”). Doublet of farrow. Compare also other West Germanic words for pigs: Ferkel, Ferke, and varken. Used in English since the 14th century, and as a term of abuse since the 17th century. US politics sense is related to pork barrel.

pork · noun2

Blend of pin + fork.

Words from the same roots

Latinporcus all →

porcupineporpoiseporcicideporcophiliaporcophobia

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.