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puppy [n. PUH-pee]

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Puppy is an ordinary word with an interesting history. A puppy is a

young dog, typically less than one year old, or the young of certain

other certain types of animals, like seals and foxes.

In the 1400s, popi was the word for a woman's small pet dog (usually

a toy dog breed). This word was likely a reference to the fact that

a small lap dog would be treated as a toy or doll. The meaning of the

word broadened from just toy dogs to all young dogs at the end of the

16th century.

Popi is thought to have derived from the Middle French poupee (doll,

toy). Poupee came from the Vulgar Latin puppa (which is also the

root source of the English word puppet). The ultimate root for puppy

is the Latin pupa (girl).