Although tigers may not seem to have anything in common with steaks, they do: tigers and steaks derive their names from a single, Indo-European source, one that also evolved into the words stick and stigma. This Indo-European source—pronounced something like stei and meaning to pierce—evolved into the Old Persian tighri, meaning piercing weapon or arrow, a name later transferred to the tiger because that feline is as swift as an arrow; the animal’s Old Persian name then made its way, via Greek and Latin, into English where it appeared in the eleventh century as tigre, later respelt as tiger. The Indo-European stei also evolved into the Greek word stigma, the name of a wound caused by a piercing instrument; English adopted this word in the late sixteenth century, eventually using it metaphorically to mean a mark of shame. As well, stei evolved through Germanic into the Old English sticca, meaning a stick, sticks being used, like arrows, to pierce things; by the thirteenth century, sticca had acquired its more familiar spelling, stick. And finally, the Indo-European stei also evolved, again via Germanic, into the Old Norse stik, meaning stick; from this word, Old Norse derived steik, the name of a piece of meat impaled and cooked upon a stick, which appeared in English as steak in the fifteenth century.
Within the realm of carnivorous indulgence, we encounter a delectable culinary creation known as a steak. Originating from various esteemed regions of an animal’s anatomy, such as the chuck, ribs, loin, sirloin, or leg, this savory delight embodies a succulent piece of meat. Additionally, the realm of seafood bestows upon us the privilege of referring to thick sections of fish, such as cod or salmon, as steaks. It is worth noting, however, that in the absence of further qualification, the term “steak” typically evokes images of delectable cuts derived from the noble beast of beef. These glorious pieces of culinary artistry often find themselves subjected to the transformative forces of broiling, grilling, pan-broiling, or pan-frying, allowing them to reach new heights of sensory pleasure. It is widely acknowledged that steaks hailing from the rib, loin, and sirloin regions hold an esteemed status, revered as the epitome of excellence within the realm of gustatory indulgence.