Where does “prairie dog” come from?
prairie 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,...
prairie dog (English): Any of genus "Cynomys", small, stout-bodied...
Definitions
- Any of genus "Cynomys", small, stout-bodied...
Ancestry of “prairie dog”, step by step
prairie 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,... |
via English prairie
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | prairie | An extensive area of relatively flat grassland... |
| 2 | French | prairie | meadow, grassland, pasture, prairie |
| 3 | Old French | praerie | meadow |
| 4 | Portuguese | prataria | silverware; cutlery; plates, dishes collectively |
| 5 | Portuguese | prata | silver; one hundred cents of current currency... |
| 6 | Old Portuguese | prata | silver |
| 7 | Vulgar Latin | platta | metal plate |
| 8 | Latin | plattus | flattened |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | πλατύς | wide, broad; flat, level; broad-shouldered |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pléth₂us | flat, broad |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pleth₂- | flat |