Cervelat
/ˌsɜːr.vəˈlæt/noun
A type of seasoned sausage, especially a Swiss or French sausage, usually smoked or cooked.
Did you know?Cervelat ultimately comes from Latin cerebellum, meaning “little brain,” because early sausage names were often tied to minced meat and offal traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cerebellum
“little brain”
Medieval Latin
ML
cerebellata
“a sausage or meat preparation made from minced meat”
Old French
OF
cervelat
“a kind of sausage”
16th–17th Century
French
cervelas
“sausage, especially a small seasoned one”
Modern English
English
cervelat
“a smoked or boiled sausage, especially in Swiss usage”
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