Hokkaido Inu
/hoʊˈkaɪdoʊ ˈiːnuː/noun
A Japanese dog breed native to Hokkaido, also known as the Hokkaido Ken or Ainu Ken.
Did you know?In Japanese folklore, dogs could be protective supernatural beings, although the Hokkaido Inu itself is historically documented as a hunting and companion breed rather than an occult creature.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic
Proto-Japonic
*inu
“Reconstructed word for “dog””
Old Japanese
Old Japanese
inu
“Dog; a domesticated canine”
1869
Japanese
北海道 (Hokkaidō)
““Northern Sea Circuit,” the official name assigned to Japan’s northern island”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Japanese
Hokkaidō inu
“Dog of Hokkaido; a regional hunting dog associated with Indigenous Ainu communities and Japanese settlers”
1937
Japanese
Hokkaidō Ken
“The Hokkaido Dog was designated a protected natural monument in Japan”
Modern English
English
Hokkaido Inu
“The established English name for the Japanese breed”
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