Arf
/ɑːrf/noun
An imitative interjection representing the sound of a dog barking.
Did you know?Unlike inherited words with traceable ancient roots, “arf” is an onomatopoeic formation whose meaning comes directly from its resemblance to a dog’s bark.
Etymological Timeline
Prehistory
Human vocal imitation
*arf-like vocalization
“A proposed expressive imitation of an animal sound; no specific ancestral form is documented.”
19th Century
English
arf
“An imitative representation of a dog’s bark, appearing in comic and literary depictions of animal speech.”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
English
arf
“Used as an interjection in writing to reproduce or humorously personify a dog’s bark.”
Modern English
English
arf
“A familiar informal written representation of a dog barking.”