Yesterday I learnt the Russian word for beef, говядина [ɡɐˈvʲædʲɪnə], and the promotely forgot it. So I thought I’d investigate its etymology to help me remember it.

говядина comes from говядо [ɡɐˈvʲadə] and old word for cattle. This comes from the Proto-Slavic *govędo (head of cattle, bull, ox), from the Proto-Indo-European *gʷew-n̥d-, from *gʷṓws (cattle) [source].

The usual Russian word for cow is корова [source], which comes from the Proto-Slavic *kőrva (cow), from the Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- (horn) [source].

*gʷṓws is also the root of:

• gak = boar (Albanian)
• govs = cattle, cow (Latvian)
• говядо = beef (Ukrainian)
• говедо = cattle (Bulgarian, Macedonian & Serbian)
• govedo = cattle (Croatian & Slovenian)
• hovado = brute (Czech & Slovak)
• gowjedo = cow (Lower Sorbian)
• *kūz = cow (Proto-Germanic)
• Kuh = cow (German)
• koe = cow (Dutch)
• ku = cow (Norwegian)
• ko = cow (Swedish, Danish, North Frisian)
• coo, kye = cow (Scots)
• βοῦς = cow (Ancient Greek)
• bōs = cow, bull, ox (Latin)
• bou = ox (Catalan)
• bue = ox, beef (Italian)
• bife = steak (Portuguese)
• bou= ox, idiot (Romanian)
• buey= ox. steer (Spanish)
• bœuf = cow, ox, beef, jam session (French)
• *bāus = cow (Proto-Celtic)
• *bōws = ox (Proto-Celtic)
• bu, buw = cow, bullock, head of cattle (Middle Welsh)
• buwch = cow (Welsh)
• bugh = cow (Cornish)
• bu, buoc’h = cow (Breton)
• bó = cow (Irish)
• booa = cow (Manx)
• bò = cow (Scottish Gaelic)

The English words beef and bovine come ultimately from the same root. Beef comes from the Middle English beef, bef, beof, from the Anglo-Norman beof, from the Old French buef, boef (ox). from Latin bōs (“ox”)

The Proto-Indo-European word *gʷowkólos, from *gʷṓws (cow) & *kʷel- (to revolve, move around, sojourn) gives us the following words in the Celtic languages [Source].

• *boukolyos = herdsman (Proto-Celtic)
• *bʉgöl = herdsman (Proto-Brythonic
• bugail = shepherd, pastor (Welsh)
• bugel = child, shepherd (Cornish)
• bugel = child (Breton)
• búachaill = cowherd (Old Irish)
• buachaill = boy, herdsman, servant, boyfriend (Irish)
• bochilley = shepherd, herdsman (Manx)
• buachaill, buachaille = cowherd, herdsman, shepherd, youth (Scottish Gaelic)