How is dog in Latin? - briefly
The word for "dog" in Latin is "canis". It is used to refer to both domestic dogs and wild canines.
How is dog in Latin? - in detail
In classical Latin, the word for "dog" is "canis." This term is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kwon-," which also gives rise to words like "hound" and "Cynic" in English. The Latin language, being highly inflected, requires that nouns change their form based on their grammatical function within a sentence. Thus, the word "canis" can take various forms depending on whether it is used as the subject, object, possessive, or in other cases.
For instance, the genitive case of "canis," which denotes possession, is "canis." An example of its usage could be "caput canis," meaning "the head of the dog." The dative case, used for indicating the recipient of an action, is "cani." A phrase such as "panno cani" translates to "to the dog with a cloth."
Furthermore, Latin distinguishes between singular and plural forms. In the nominative case (the subject form), the plural of "canis" is "canes," as in "canes currunt" which means "the dogs are running." The accusative case (the object form) in the plural is "canes," for example, "puer videt canes" translates to "the boy sees the dogs."
It's interesting to note that the Latin word "canis" has also influenced many Romance languages. For example, in French, the word for dog is "chien," and in Spanish, it is "perro," both of which share a similar etymological origin with "canis."
In conclusion, understanding how to express "dog" in Latin involves not only knowing the base form but also appreciating the nuances of Latin grammar, which requires the correct inflection based on the word's role within a sentence.