Where does “puppy” come from?
Puppy comes from Middle French poupée, from Old French poupee, ultimately derived from a source meaning doll or toy.
puppy (English): A young dog, especially before sexual maturity; A...
Definitions
- A young dog, especially before sexual maturity; A...
Ancestry of “puppy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | puppie | Obsolete form of puppy |
| 2 | Middle French | poupée | doll, toy |
| 3 | Old French | poupée | — |
| 4 | Latin | pupa | girl, little girl; doll, puppet; pupa |
| 5 | Latin | pupus | a boy, a child; a puppet; the pupil of the eye |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂w- | few, little; smallness |
Words derived from “puppy”