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dogue

Etymology and origin of the French word dogue

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
late 14th century, Eustache Deschamps
Borrowed from
Middle English dogge
Ultimate origin
Old English (docga)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɔɡ/[1]

Forms

dogue m (plural dogues)[1] Also dougue (1480–1481) and docgue (about 1510).[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle English dogge (“dog”),[3][4][5][2][6] from Old English docga (10th century).[4][7] The English word seems first to have named a particular breed of English dog, the general word being hound; its origin is unknown.[4] The breed spread to other countries, giving Italian dogo and German Dogge.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Eustache Deschamps (late 14th century) puts the insult franche dogue, “French dog”, into an Englishman's mouth, and a Rouen document of 1406 records the English calling the French chiens, dogue.[3][4][7]

Semantic evolution

As the name of a breed it appears in 1480–1481, of two dougues newly come from England,[3][4] and Du Bellay speaks of “le généreux dogue anglois”.[8][7] Figuratively it was used from 1536 of an irascible, aggressive person (Collerye's vieilles dogues),[3][4] now surviving mainly in être d'une humeur de dogue “to be in a foul temper” (1806).[3][4][9] The diminutive doguin (1611) and the verb doguer (1680) are obsolete,[4] and bouledogue was later taken from English bulldog.[5][4]

Timeline

  • 10th century – Old English docga.[4]
  • late 14th century – Franche dogue (Deschamps).[3][10]
  • 1406 – An insult for the French at Rouen.[3][5]
  • 1480–1481 – Dougues from England.[3][4]
  • 1536 – A surly person (Collerye).[3]
  • 1678 – Dogue d'amure, a hole in a ship's bulwark.[4]
  • 1806 – Humeur de dogue.[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A mastiff, a heavy guard dog with a short muzzle: dogue allemand “Great Dane”.[9][1]
  2. Être d'une humeur de dogue: to be in a foul temper.[9][3]
  • bouledogue
  • English dog

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 18, 52a
  7. ^ a b c Bonnaffé, Édouard (1920), Dictionnaire étymologique et historique des anglicismes, Paris: Delagrave
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
Cite this entry

“Dogue.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/dogue. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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