Where does “terrier” come from?
terrier (Italian) comes from English terrier, from French terrier, from Middle French terrier, from Old French chien terrier, from Old French terrier, from Medieval Latin terrarius, from Latin Terra, from Proto-Indo-European ters- — dry.
terrier (Italian): terrier
Ancestry of “terrier”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | terrier | A dog from a group of small, lively breeds,... |
| 2 | French | terrier | relating to the ground, earth or land;... |
| 3 | Middle French | terrier | — |
| 4 | Old French | chien terrier | terrier dog |
| 5 | Old French | terrier | — |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | terrarius | of earth |
| 7 | Latin | Terra | goddess of the earth; the Earth itself; tierra ... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ters- | dry |