Etymology Map
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Dog

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a domesticated carnivorous mammal kept as a pet or working animal

Where does the word "dog" come from? It comes from Old English docga, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
docga
Old English · 1000s
"a (powerful) dog"
appears only once in surviving Old English, while the usual word was 'hund', hound; its origin is a mystery
2
Stage 2 of 3
dogge
Middle English · 1300s
"dog"
spread until it became the general word, leaving 'hound' for hunting dogs
3
Stage 3 of 3
dog
English · 1500s
"dog"
English exported it: French 'dogue' and German 'Dogge' mean a mastiff
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Read the full story

Dog’s story begins in Old English: docga meant “a (powerful) dog.” Appears only once in surviving Old English, while the usual word was 'hund', hound; its origin is a mystery. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as dogge. Spread until it became the general word, leaving 'hound' for hunting dogs. It reached English by 1500s as dog. English exported it: French 'dogue' and German 'Dogge' mean a mastiff. Today, dog means a domesticated carnivorous mammal kept as a pet or working animal.