Volpino
/volˈpiː.no/noun
An Italian word meaning “little fox,” and the name of a small Spitz-type dog breed.
Did you know?Volpino comes from the same Latin root as “vulpine,” so this cute dog name is secretly tied to the old Roman word for fox.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wĺ̥kʷos
“wolf”
Latin
Latin
vulpēs
“fox”
Vulgar Latin / Early Romance
Romance
*volpe
“fox”
Italian
Italian
volpino
“little fox; also a small fox-like dog”
Modern English
English
Volpino
“an Italian breed of small Spitz dog”