Where does “terrier” come from?
Terrier comes from French terrier, from Old French chien, from Latin canis, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European ḱwṓ and keh₂n-.
terrier (English): A dog from a group of small, lively breeds,...
Definitions
- A dog from a group of small, lively breeds,...
Ancestry of “terrier”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | terrier | relating to the ground, earth or land;... |
| 2 | Middle French | terrier | — |
| 3 | Old French | chien terrier | terrier dog |
| 4 | Old French | terrier | — |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | terrarius | of earth |
| 6 | Latin | Terra | goddess of the earth; the Earth itself; tierra ... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ters- | dry |
Words derived from “terrier”