Corgi
/ˈkɔːr.ɡi/noun
A short-legged Welsh herding dog, especially a Pembroke Welsh corgi or Cardigan Welsh corgi.
Did you know?Corgis were bred as cattle-herding dogs: their low bodies let them nip at heels and dodge dangerous kicks more effectively.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱwṓn
“Dog; the ancient root behind many later dog-related words”
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*kū
“Dog; a Celtic descendant of the Indo-European dog root”
Medieval Welsh
Welsh
ci
“Dog”
19th Century
Welsh
cor ci
“Dwarf dog; cor means “dwarf,” while ci means “dog””
19th–20th Century
Welsh
corgi
“The form produced by Welsh mutation, with ci becoming gi after cor”
20th Century
English
corgi
“An English borrowing for the Welsh short-legged herding breeds”