Dogue
/duːɡ/noun
A mastiff or mastiff-like dog, especially one of the large French breeds.
Did you know?French dogue is generally considered a borrowing from English dog, whose deeper origin remains uncertain rather than being securely connected to a known Indo-European root.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
docga
“A powerful breed or type of dog; the word’s precise origin is uncertain.”
Middle English
Middle English
dogge
“A dog, especially a large or working dog.”
16th Century
English
dog
“The general English form that supplied the source for the French borrowing.”
16th–17th Century
French
dogue
“A mastiff or large, strong dog.”
18th Century
English
dogue
“A borrowed term for a mastiff, preserved especially in breed names such as dogue de Bordeaux.”
Modern English
English
dogue
“A rare or specialized term for a mastiff-type dog.”