mutton
UK[ˈmʌtn̩]US[ˈmʌtn̩]
n
The meat from a fully grown sheep.
Etymology
The word 'mutton' is a culinary term that arrived in English with the Norman Conquest of 1066, reflecting the class distinction where the Anglo-Saxon farmers raised the animal (sheep) and the Norman aristocracy ate the meat (mutton). Its journey begins from a probable Gaulish source into Medieval Latin, then into the Old French of the ruling class. Over centuries in English, its meaning narrowed specifically to the meat of the animal, while the native Germanic word 'sheep' retained its meaning for the living creature. This history encapsulates a shift from a general term for the animal to a specialized term for its food product, a common pattern in culinary vocabulary.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It entered English from the Anglo-Norman French word moton, meaning "ram" or "sheep." The French term itself derives from Medieval Latin multo, multon-, likely of Gaulish (Celtic) origin.
Examples
For dinner, we had roast mutton with mint sauce.
Mutton is often considered to have a stronger flavor than lamb.
The traditional stew was made with hearty chunks of mutton and root vegetables.