dog Latin

The story

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.