beeves

And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 31:28

...bells and babies are valuable alſo here, and for which, (or one bead of cornelion) you ſhall have in exchange, Sheep (big tail'd like thoſe in Syria and Perſia) Beeves and Buffaloes, big-bond, fat, and Camel-backt...

1638, Sir Thomas Herbert, Some yeares travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique

One way a Band select from forage drives A herd of Beeves, faire Oxen and faire Kine From a fat Meddow ground

1674, John Milton, “Book XI”, in Paradise Lost. […], 2nd edition, London: […] S[amuel] Simmons […], →OCLC, page 304

…to deliver in every morning six beeves, forty sheep, and other victuals for my sustenance.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput)

"In Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe, a Saxon peasant explains that the oxen, calves, swine and sheep are good Saxons tended by Saxons when alive, but turn into Norman-French when they are ready to be eaten as beef (or beeves), veal, pork and mutton."

2012, Alan Massie, In everything we say, there is an echo of 1066