doge

See also: Doge and DOGE

English

WOTD – 17 May 2010

Andrea Gritti, Doge of Venice (1523–1538)

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dewk-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *déwkti

Proto-Italic *doukō

Latin dūcō

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Latin -s

Latin dux

Venetan doxebor.

Italian dogeder.

English doge

Partly from Middle French doge and partly from its etymon, Italian doge, from Venetan doxe, from Latin ducem, accusative of dux (“leader; commander; ruler”). Doublet of duc, duce, duke, and dux.

Alternative forms

• Doge

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dəʊdʒ/, /dəʊʒ/, /ˈdəʊ.dʒeɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /doʊd͡ʒ/, /doʊʒ/, /ˈdoʊ.d͡ʒeɪ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊdʒ, -əʊʒ, -əʊdʒeɪ

Noun

doge (plural doges or dogi)

1. (historical) The chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa.
   • 1797, John Adams, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States, page 62:

     In the thirteenth century, a new method of appointing the doge, by the famous ballot of Venice, a complicated mixture of choice and chance, was adopted.

   • 1982, John Julius Norwich, chapter 34, in A History of Venice, page 346:

     This reply was one of the first important pronouncements to be made by Antonio Grimani, who on 6 July had been elected seventy-fourth Doge of Venice in succession to Leonardo Loredan.

   • 2013, Judith Herrin, “The Collapse of the Byzantine Empire in the Twelfth Century: A Study of a Medieval Economy”, in Margins and Metropolis: Authority Across the Byzantine Empire, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, page 114:

     The doge and the Venetian Senate might still be the servants (douloi) of the emperor, but nonetheless they were able to fix the price of their naval aid.

Quotations

• For more quotations using this term, see Citations:doge.

Derived terms

• dogedom
• dogeless
• dogeship
• dogess

Related terms

• dogal
• dogaressa
• dogate
• ducal
• ducat
• duchy
• dukedom
• duke, duchess
• dukeship

Translations

chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa

• Arabic: دُوق m (dūq), دوج m (dōj)
• Armenian: դոժ (hy) (dož)
• Azerbaijani: doj
• Belarusian: дож m (dož)
• Bulgarian: дож (dož)
• Catalan: dux (ca) m
• Czech: dóže (cs)
• Danish: doge c
• Dutch: doge (nl)
• Esperanto: doĝo
• Estonian: doodž
• Finnish: doge (fi)
• French: doge (fr) m
• Friulian: dûs m
• Georgian: დოჟი (doži)
• German: Doge (de) m
• Greek: δόγης (el) m (dógis)
• Hindi: डोगे (ḍoge)
• Hungarian: dózse (hu)
• Ido: dojo (io)
• Irish: dóg m
• Italian: doge (it) m
• Kazakh: дож (doj)
• Latvian: dodžs
• Ligurian: dûxe m
• Lombard: dus (lmo) m
• Macedonian: дужд m (dužd)
• Persian: دوجه
• Polish: doża (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: doge (pt) m
• Romanian: doge (ro) m
• Russian: дож (ru) m (dož)
• Serbo-Croatian: дужд m, dužd (sh) m
• Spanish: dux (es) m, dogo (es) m
• Swedish: doge (sv)
• Turkish: doj

  Ottoman Turkish: دوژ (doj)

• Ukrainian: дож m (dož)
• Venetan: doxe (vec) m
• Zulu: inqola

Etymology 2

The original doge (noun sense 2) meme image.

A mock doge (noun sense 2) meme.

Etymology tree

Old English *dogga

Middle English dogge

English dog

English doge

From dog, probably as a sensational spelling of doggy like monke. First attested in the 2005 episode "Biz Cas Fri 1" from Homestar Runner.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dəʊdʒ/, /dəʊʒ/, /dəʊɡ/, (also) /ˈdɒɡ.i/, /ˈdəʊ.ɡi/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /doʊdʒ/, /doʊʒ/, /doʊɡ/, (also) /ˈdɑɡ.i/, /ˈdoʊ.ɡi/
• Rhymes: -əʊdʒ, -əʊʒ, -əʊɡ, -ɒɡi, -əʊɡi

Noun

doge (plural doges)

1. (Internet slang, humorous) Deliberate misspelling of doggy.
3. (Internet slang, humorous) Specifically, a Shiba Inu, as in the doge meme.
   • 2015 July 23, Dave Lee, “Six times Reddit wasn't completely awful”, in BBC‎^[2], archived from the original on 15 November 2015:

     Bobsled wasn't the only Dogecoin-backed sporting success. Fans of Nascar will recognise the car driven by Josh Wise, emblazoned, as it is, with the adorable little doge on its bonnet (pictured above).

Derived terms

• dogecoin
• DOGE

Translations

internet slang

• Polish: pieseł (pl) m
• Russian: пёсель m (pjóselʹ), соба́кен (ru) m (sobáken)
• Turkish: köpke
• Ukrainian: доге (dohe)

Etymology 3

See DOGE.

Verb

doge (third-person singular simple present doges, present participle dogeing, simple past and past participle doged)

1. Alternative letter-case form of DOGE.
   • 2025 March 28, Andrea Fox, “Lab critical to medical device development 'DOGEd'”, in Healthcare IT News‎^[3], archived from the original on 2 April 2025:

     Since the lab has been "doged," a petition posted to Change.org by Evgeny Stambulchik asked for signatures to oppose the layoff of the NIST Atomic Spectroscopy Group and has garnered 2,500 signatures as of reporting time. There is also a campaign website.

Further reading

• doge on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• doge (meme) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• goed

Danish

Etymology

From Venetan doxe, from Latin ducem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdoːɕə]

Noun

doge c (singular definite dogen, plural indefinite doger)

1. doge

Declension

Declension of doge

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	doge	dogen	doger	dogerne
genitive	doges	dogens	dogers	dogernes

References

• “doge” in Den Danske Ordbog

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian doge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdo(ː)dʒe/, [ˈdo̞(ː)dʒe̞]
• IPA^(key): /ˈdoɡe/, [ˈdo̞ɡe̞]
• Rhymes: -odʒe

Noun

doge

1. doge

Declension

In genitive plural, non-standard dogien seems to be the most commonly used form.

Inflection of doge (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		doge	doget
genitive		dogen	dogejen
partitive		dogea	dogeja
illative		dogeen	dogeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		doge	doget
accusative	nom.	doge	doget
	gen.	dogen
genitive		dogen	dogejen dogein rare
partitive		dogea	dogeja
inessive		dogessa	dogeissa
elative		dogesta	dogeista
illative		dogeen	dogeihin
adessive		dogella	dogeilla
ablative		dogelta	dogeilta
allative		dogelle	dogeille
essive		dogena	dogeina
translative		dogeksi	dogeiksi
abessive		dogetta	dogeitta
instructive		—	dogein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of doge (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dogeni dogeni accusative nom. dogeni dogeni gen. dogeni genitive dogeni dogejeni dogeini rare partitive dogeani dogejani inessive dogessani dogeissani elative dogestani dogeistani illative dogeeni dogeihini adessive dogellani dogeillani ablative dogeltani dogeiltani allative dogelleni dogeilleni essive dogenani dogeinani translative dogekseni dogeikseni abessive dogettani dogeittani instructive — — comitative — dogeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dogesi dogesi accusative nom. dogesi dogesi gen. dogesi genitive dogesi dogejesi dogeisi rare partitive dogeasi dogejasi inessive dogessasi dogeissasi elative dogestasi dogeistasi illative dogeesi dogeihisi adessive dogellasi dogeillasi ablative dogeltasi dogeiltasi allative dogellesi dogeillesi essive dogenasi dogeinasi translative dogeksesi dogeiksesi abessive dogettasi dogeittasi instructive — — comitative — dogeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dogemme dogemme accusative nom. dogemme dogemme gen. dogemme genitive dogemme dogejemme dogeimme rare partitive dogeamme dogejamme inessive dogessamme dogeissamme elative dogestamme dogeistamme illative dogeemme dogeihimme adessive dogellamme dogeillamme ablative dogeltamme dogeiltamme allative dogellemme dogeillemme essive dogenamme dogeinamme translative dogeksemme dogeiksemme abessive dogettamme dogeittamme instructive — — comitative — dogeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dogenne dogenne accusative nom. dogenne dogenne gen. dogenne genitive dogenne dogejenne dogeinne rare partitive dogeanne dogejanne inessive dogessanne dogeissanne elative dogestanne dogeistanne illative dogeenne dogeihinne adessive dogellanne dogeillanne ablative dogeltanne dogeiltanne allative dogellenne dogeillenne essive dogenanne dogeinanne translative dogeksenne dogeiksenne abessive dogettanne dogeittanne instructive — — comitative — dogeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative dogensa dogensa accusative nom. dogensa dogensa gen. dogensa genitive dogensa dogejensa dogeinsa rare partitive dogeaan dogeansa dogejaan dogejansa inessive dogessaan dogessansa dogeissaan dogeissansa elative dogestaan dogestansa dogeistaan dogeistansa illative dogeensa dogeihinsa adessive dogellaan dogellansa dogeillaan dogeillansa ablative dogeltaan dogeltansa dogeiltaan dogeiltansa allative dogelleen dogellensa dogeilleen dogeillensa essive dogenaan dogenansa dogeinaan dogeinansa translative dogekseen dogeksensa dogeikseen dogeiksensa abessive dogettaan dogettansa dogeittaan dogeittansa instructive — — comitative — dogeineen dogeinensa

French

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dewk-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *déwkti

Proto-Italic *doukō

Latin dūcō

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Latin -s

Latin dux

Venetan doxebor.

Italian dogebor.

French doge

Borrowed from Italian doge, from Venetan doxe, from Latin ducem (“leader; commander; ruler”). Doublet of duc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔʒ/

Noun

doge m (plural doges)

1. doge
   • 1833, Julie de Quérangal, Philippe de Morvelle, Revue des Deux Mondes, T.2,4

     Non pas, non pas, cria-t-on de tous côtés ; il y a encore Venise. - Venise la reine des mers ! - Le lion de Saint-Marc ! - Le Bucentaure ! - Le doge ! - Quel homme qu'un doge ! […]

     "No, no," we cried from both sides; "there is still Venice. Venice the queen of the seas! The lion of St Mark! The Bucintoro! The doge! What a man is a doge!"

Derived terms

• dogesse

Related terms

• dogal
• dogaresse
• dogat
• duc, duchesse
• ducal
• ducat
• duché

Descendants

• → Arabic: دوج (dōj)
• → German: Doge
• → Ido: dojo
• → Polish: doża
• → Ottoman Turkish: دوژ (doj)
  • Turkish: doj
• → Russian: дож (dož)
  • → Armenian: դոժ (dož)
  • → Azerbaijani: doj
  • → Georgian: დოჟი (doži)
  • → Kazakh: дож (doj)
  • → Uzbek: doj
• → Ukrainian: дож (dož)

Further reading

• Littré, Émile (1873–1878), “doge”, in Dictionnaire de la langue française, Paris: L. Hachette
• “doge” in the Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, 8th Edition (1932–35).
• “doge”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• gode

Italian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dewk-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *déwkti

Proto-Italic *doukō

Latin dūcō

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Latin -s

Latin dux

Venetan doxebor.

Italian doge

Borrowed from Venetan doxe, from Latin ducem (“leader; commander; ruler”). Doublet of duce and duca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.d͡ʒe/
• Rhymes: -ɔdʒe
• Hyphenation: dò‧ge

Noun

doge m (plural dogi)

1. doge

Related terms

• dogado
• dogale
• dogaressa
• dogato
• duca, duchessa
• ducale
• ducato
• duce

Descendants

• → Czech: dóže
• → English: doge
  • → Esperanto: doĝo
• → Finnish: doge
• → French: doge
  • → Arabic: دوج (dōj)
  • → German: Doge
  • → Ido: dojo
  • → Polish: doża
  • → Ottoman Turkish: دوژ (doj)
    • Turkish: doj
  • → Russian: дож (dož)
    • → Armenian: դոժ (dož)
    • → Azerbaijani: doj
    • → Georgian: დოჟი (doži)
    • → Kazakh: дож (doj)
    • → Uzbek: doj
  • → Ukrainian: дож (dož)
• → Greek: δόγης (dógis)
• → Hungarian: dózse
• → Macedonian: дужд (dužd)
• → Portuguese: doge
• → Romanian: doge
• → Serbo-Croatian: dudž

Anagrams

• dego, gode, godé

Lithuanian

Pronunciation

• (dogè) IPA^(key): [doˈɡʲɛ]
• (dòge) IPA^(key): [ˈdoɡʲɛ]

Noun

dogè m

1. locative singular of dogas

Noun

dòge m

1. vocative singular of dogas

Portuguese

Etymology

From Venetan doxe or Italian doge, from Latin ducem, accusative of dux (“leader; commander; ruler”). Doublet of duque.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.ʒi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔ.ʒɨ/

• Hyphenation: do‧ge

Noun

doge m (plural doges)

1. (historical) doge (chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa)

Further reading

• “doge”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “doge”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dewk-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *déwkti

Proto-Italic *doukō

Latin dūcō

Proto-Indo-European *-s

Latin -s

Latin dux

Venetan doxebor.

Italian dogebor.

Romanian doge

Borrowed from Italian doge.

Noun

doge m (plural dogi)

1. doge

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	doge	dogeul	dogi	dogii
genitive-dative	doge	dogeului	dogi	dogilor
vocative	dogeule		dogilor

Volapük

Noun

doge

1. dative singular of dog