Pig meat is called pork, sheep - mutton, chicken - chicken. Using such analogies, it is quite difficult to understand why some kind of meat is called beef.
Pick your recipe
How did the word "beef"
The word "beef" in the Russian language is called not only cow meat, but also cattle meat. This category includes the meat of a cow, bull, calf and ox.
This word has an ancient origin. However, it is worth noting that in the time of Rus they used to call exclusively cow meat, the word acquired a broader meaning in the 20th century.
In the etymological dictionary of Krylov, it is noted that the word "beef" comes from the common ancient Slavic or ancient Greek word govedo, which means "cattle" in translation. The word beef has analogues in other ancient languages. For example, in Armenian, it is written as kov, in Indo-European - govs, and in English, descended from Latin, - cow.
In all the languages considered, this word has a common similar root, but the suffix edo can be misleading.
In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language by Vladimir Dahl, the word "beef" is given special meaning. It is accompanied by an illustration of cow meat. In addition, in the dictionary there is an interpretation of the word "beef", which has an identical meaning. And the word "beef" is interpreted as "taken from a bull." In the following, all parts of beef from head to rump are described in detail.