Etymologically
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dogue

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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