Samoyed

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See also: samoyed

English

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A Samoyed dog sitting.

Etymology

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From Russian самое́д (samojéd), probably from Sami *saam-edne (land of the people); compare Finnish Suomi (Finn).[1][2]

In the course of borrowing, the word was folk-etymologically reinterpreted as сам (sam, self, own) + есть, ед- (jestʹ, jed-, eat), "self-eater."[3]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsæməjɛd/, /səˈmɔɪ.ɛd/

Noun

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Samoyed (plural Samoyeds or Samoyed)

  1. (anthropology) A member of the Samoyedic peoples of the Siberian Urals, who speak Samoyedic languages.
    • 1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Asia.] Of other Northerne people adioyning to the Tartars.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All Ages and Places Discouered, from the Creation vnto this Present. [], London: [] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, [], →OCLC, book IV (Of the Armenians, Medes, Persians, Parthians, Scythians, Tartarians, Chinois, and of Their Religions), page 363:
      The Samoyeds are Idolaters and Witches, obſeruing diuelliſh ſuperſtitions
  2. (zoology) A hardy breed of dog from Siberia.
    Synonyms: Sammie, Sammy, Smiley (endearing nicknames)

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Andrei V. Golovnev and Gail Osherenko, "Siberian Survival: The Nenets and Their Story," Cornell University, 1999
  2. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
  3. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “Samoyed”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

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