The Etymology of Old English *docga

Abstract

This article explores the origin of English dog (OE *docga), generally regarded as a word of unknown origin. It is argued, on the basis of its morphology, that the word is a hypocoristic derivative of <dox>, an Old English colour adjective. The article suggests that the relation between OE <frox> and <frocga> ‘frog’ is not an isolated irregularity but an example of a derivational process represented also by <dox : *docga> and possibly by other such pairs in Old English (e.g. <fox: *fogga>).DOI: 10.1515/9783110186505.275