calf的词源

英文词源

calf: calf: English has two distinct words calf, both of Germanic origin. Calf ‘young cow’ goes back to Old English cealf, descendant of a prehistoric West Germanic *kalbam, which also produced German kalb and Dutch kalf. Calf of the leg [14] was borrowed from Old Norse kálfi, of unknown origin.
calf (n.1): "young cow," Old English cealf (Anglian cælf) "young cow," from Proto-Germanic *kalbam (cognates: Middle Dutch calf, Old Norse kalfr, German Kalb, Gothic kalbo), perhaps from PIE *gelb(h)-, from root *gel- "to swell," hence, "womb, fetus, young of an animal." Elliptical sense of "leather made from the skin of a calf" is from 1727. Used of icebergs that break off from glaciers from 1818.
calf (n.2): fleshy part of the lower leg, early 14c., from Old Norse kalfi, source unknown; possibly from the same Germanic root as calf (n.1).

来自PIE *gel, 鼓起，子宫，词源同child, dolphin.

该词的英语词源请访问趣词词源英文版：calf 词源，calf 含义。

作“小牛”解时,来源于日耳曼语,其“宗亲”有德语kalb(牛犊)和荷兰语kalf(牛犊);作“腿”解时,来源于古斯堪的纳维亚语kalfi。