Where does “dog eat dog” come from?
dog eat dog (English) comes from English dog, from English dogshit, from English shit, from Middle Dutch schite, from Old Dutch skīta, from Old Saxon skiti, from Proto-Germanic skītaz, from Proto-Indo-European sḱeyd- — to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,...
dog eat dog (English): Ruthlessly acquisitive or competitive. Describes...
Definitions
- Ruthlessly acquisitive or competitive. Describes...
Ancestry of “dog eat dog”, step by step
dog eat dog traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dog
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dog | A mammal, "Canis familiaris" or "Canis lupus... |
| 2 | English | dogshit | Dog excrement; Something disgusting, abominable,... |
| 3 | English | shit | Solid excretory product evacuated from the... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | schite | — |
| 5 | Old Dutch | skīta | — |
| 6 | Old Saxon | skiti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skītaz | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱeyd- | to shade; to cut off; to part with, separate, cut... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |