veau

Everyday

1. (French) «Veau» is the French word for a calf (a baby cow), and also for veal, the meat of a calf. tree →
2. It sounds like «voh» to an English ear (rhymes with «go», with a «v»). tree →
3. It is not an English word; English took «veal» from the old French form of this word. tree →

In the lessons

In French lessons on food and farm animals, «le veau» appears on menus («blanquette de veau», a veal stew) and in lists like «la vache» (cow), «le veau» (calf), «le taureau» (bull). It tells an English reader something is French cooking or a French farm. «Veau» also appears in «ris de veau» (calf sweetbreads) on French menus.

Examples

• In French, «le veau» means «the calf». tree →
• The French menu said «blanquette de veau» — a creamy veal stew. tree →
• «Veau» sounds like «voh». tree →
• In our French farm song, «la vache et le veau» means «the cow and the calf». tree →
• English «veal» comes from the old French word that became «veau». tree →
• My aunt in Paris ordered «escalope de veau». tree →

Note

French, not English. Masculine: «le veau»; plural «les veaux» (say «lay voh» — the «x» is silent). The «-eau» spelling in French says «oh», as in «gâteau», «château», «bureau». Do not confuse «veau» with «vaut» (is worth) or «vos» (your), which can sound alike.