In English, the words for many animals (chicken, cow, sheep, deer, pig) are derived from proto-germanic, while the word for their meat (poultry, beef, mutton, venison, pork) is French derived.
Bonus: A good chunk of river names are just “River” in the local language. So many River Rivers from newcomers adopting the river names, not knowing it just means “river”
If I were to be pedantic, I don’t know if it’s correct to say that much of English is German as such. Modern standard German/Hochdeutsch and English have a common ancestor but that split was a very long time ago now. You could say that the grammar is better preserved in German but you could say the same about Dutch, or English‘s closest living sibling - Frisian. „German“ has gone through a great many changes from Proto-Germanic, and still, there’s a mess of different dialects/languages from different family branches in one modern state.
There’s probably a similar argument about the French influence (Norman wasn’t French per se but a closely related Romance language) but I don’t know enough about that.
The reason for the difference is from the Norman invasion when the nobility were French. So they referred to the food only not the animal in their own tongue.
The kicker is that the peasants spoke the old proto-germanic language, and the nobles spoke the shiny new French derivation. So peasants raised the beasts and the nobles ate the beasts.
In English, the words for many animals (chicken, cow, sheep, deer, pig) are derived from proto-germanic, while the word for their meat (poultry, beef, mutton, venison, pork) is French derived.
Bonus: A good chunk of river names are just “River” in the local language. So many River Rivers from newcomers adopting the river names, not knowing it just means “river”
I just want to add that a great much of English is German and French.
For example “question” is Germanic rooted while “interrogate” is French.
If I were to be pedantic, I don’t know if it’s correct to say that much of English is German as such. Modern standard German/Hochdeutsch and English have a common ancestor but that split was a very long time ago now. You could say that the grammar is better preserved in German but you could say the same about Dutch, or English‘s closest living sibling - Frisian. „German“ has gone through a great many changes from Proto-Germanic, and still, there’s a mess of different dialects/languages from different family branches in one modern state.
There’s probably a similar argument about the French influence (Norman wasn’t French per se but a closely related Romance language) but I don’t know enough about that.
Not pedantic as much as informing! Thanks homie.
The reason for the difference is from the Norman invasion when the nobility were French. So they referred to the food only not the animal in their own tongue.
The kicker is that the peasants spoke the old proto-germanic language, and the nobles spoke the shiny new French derivation. So peasants raised the beasts and the nobles ate the beasts.