Doggy
/ˈdɒɡ.i/noun
An informal or affectionate term for a dog.
Did you know?Unlike most common animal names, the origin of “dog” is genuinely unknown; its sudden appearance in medieval English eventually displaced the older word “hound” in everyday speech.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
hund
“The ordinary Old English word for a dog; this is the ancestor of modern “hound.””
11th–13th Century
English
docga
“A rare Old English form referring to a powerful or specialized kind of dog; its deeper origin is unknown.”
13th Century
Middle English
dogge
“A dog; the word begins appearing in written Middle English and gradually expands in use.”
14th–16th Century
English
dog
“The increasingly common general term for the domestic canine, while “hound” becomes more specialized.”
19th Century
English
doggy
“An affectionate or child-directed diminutive formed from “dog” with the suffix “-y.””
Modern English
English
doggy
“An informal, affectionate word for a dog, especially common in speech addressed to children.”