dog Latin
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dog Latin¹
Where it comes from
The term Dog Latin dates back to at least the 17th century and is thought to derive from the notion of doggerel, a word meaning rough, irregular, or trivial verse. Chambers (1908) suggests that the word reflects the idea of a clumsy, bastardized form of Latin, as if produced by dogs rather than by scholars. The adjective dog in this sense was historically used to indicate something inferior or absurd, paralleling its use in expressions like dog's breakfast or doggerel. The term thus conveys the idea of a humorous or intentionally incorrect imitation of classical Latin.
proper noun Dog Latin
-
A phrase or jargon that imitates Latin, often by translating English words (or those of other languages) into Latin by conjugating or declining them.
Now that walking plants were established facts, the press lost its former tepidity and bathed them in publicity. So a name had to be found for them. Already there were botanists wallowing, after their custom, in polysyllabic dog-Latin and Greek to produce variants on ambulans and pseudopodia, but wh
Similar: Canis Latinicus, cod Latin, hog Latin, macaronic Latin
- Poor-quality or erroneous Latin.
Dog Latin²
proper noun
- Alternative letter-case form of dog Latin
Translations
Every language
name bad, erroneous Latin
| Español | latín macarrónico, latinajo |
|---|---|
| Français | latin macaronique, latin de cuisine |
| Deutsch | Küchenlatein |
| Italiano | latino maccheronico |
Talk about this word "dog Latin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dog%20latin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dog Latin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20latin "dog Latin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20latin.Cite this
@misc{dog_latin_2026,
title = {dog Latin},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20latin},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
