cattle
UK[ˈkætl]US[ˈkætl]
n
Animals such as cows, bulls, and oxen that are kept on farms for their milk or meat.
n
Wealth or property in the form of these animals.
Etymology
The word 'cattle' has a fascinating journey from a term for general wealth to one specifying livestock. Its ultimate source is the Latin 'caput', meaning 'head', which led to 'capitalis' (principal). In Medieval Latin, 'capitale' referred to one's principal property or stock. This concept entered Old North French as 'catel', meaning movable property. Adopted into Middle English as 'catel', the term initially covered all forms of personal property, including money and goods. Over time, as livestock represented the primary form of movable wealth in an agrarian society, the meaning of 'catel' (later 'cattle') narrowed specifically to refer to bovine animals, illustrating a classic semantic shift from the general (property) to the specific (a key type of property).
Analysis
The word 'cattle' is a simplex word derived from a single root. Its core morpheme is 'cattle' itself, originating from the Anglo-Norman French 'catel', which meant property or chattel. This, in turn, came from the Medieval Latin 'capitale', meaning principal property or stock, from the Latin 'capitalis' (of the head, principal), derived from 'caput' (head).
Examples
The farmer raised cattle for both dairy and beef production.
In ancient societies, a person's wealth was often measured by the number of cattle they owned.
The cattle were grazing peacefully in the meadow.