Why the origin of the word ‘dog’ remains a mystery
By Juliana Kim for NPR
They’re known as man’s best friends, fur babies, pooches.
But the most widely used word for these beloved animals — “dog” — is also a great linguistic mystery.
“The most everyday, commonplace words are often the most mysterious,” said Colin Gorrie, a linguist who has written about the origin of “dog.”
Descended from wolves, dogs were among the first animals to be domesticated, and their close bond with humans can be traced back thousands of years. Much like the animal itself, the word used to describe canines has evolved over time; “dog” only became the standard term within the past 500 years or so, according to Gorrie.
“This is a process that we see over and over again,” he said. “I think what the source of it is — is the fact that dogs live with us so much and we have such an emotional association with dogs, they become parts of our family and they attract these kinds of pet names.”
Centuries ago, dogs were more commonly called “hounds” — a term derived from the Old English word “hund.” Today, “hound” typically refers to a specific breed of dog, but back then, it referred to all domestic canines, according to Gorrie.
Early forms of the word “dog” did appear in land charters and place names over a millennia ago. But most notably, during the Middle English period from roughly 1100 to 1450, “dog” was often used as an insult directed at people.
“ The use of terms for dog to insult people are pretty common historically and across cultures and we see it all over the place,” Gorrie said. “So not just in the history of English but in related languages of Europe and Asia.”
Over time, the positive emotions people felt toward the four-legged creature eclipsed some of the word’s negative, derogatory charge, he said. Around the 1500s, “dog” replaced “hound” as the standard term we use for the pet today.
“It’s very possible that the same word that you use as an insult, you can repurpose as a term of affection,” Gorrie said. “ Almost as if they’re reclaiming that word or using it ironically to show just how strong the affection is.”
Since “dog” became ubiquitous, it has continued to broaden in meaning. According to Gorrie, the term was used to describe an ugly woman in the 1930s, while in the 1950s, it came to mean a sexually aggressive man. Today, it is used widely as slang for a close friend.
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