Friday, 20 June 2014

Dog analysis


Dog

When does the OED citation first record the appearance of the word in printed text?

1000 - 1050

What type of text did it first appear in?

c1225  (?a1200)   Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 213   His [sc. the devil's] teð beoð attri as of amad dogge. dauið iþe sauter cleopeð him dogge

Where does the word come from?

Origin of the word is unknown, but it is presumed to be old English with Germanic influences.

Has the word always been ‘gender’ specific?

No the word has always been used for both genders, although the female dog is also called a ‘bitch’.

Has the primary meaning of the word changed over time?

The word has maintained the same general meaning, as in a domesticated animal, or one used for hunting. However now it is sometimes used to refer to someone who is excessively sexually active or someone who is relentless in finding out something.

Has the spelling of the word changed at all?

It was originally spelt Docgena which changed to doggue which became dogge which changed to doge which became dog.

Does the word exist in more than one word class?

It can be used as a verb ‘to dog’

It can be used as a concrete noun ‘dog’

Does the dictionary definition match your understanding of the word?

Yes it does although now it is occasionally used to refer to people aswell.

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