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barkless

barkless

1 7.2
A dog that does not make the usual woof sound
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɑrk.ləs/
: sin ladrido
  • They were in charge of John Lang, a sallow, barkless keeper who had brought them to New Jersey from the Aurora, Ontario, kennels of their owner, Dr. A. R. B. Richmond, who imported them from England a year ago.

Examples

  • Many breeds of barkless dogs are known for their friendly nature.

  • The barkless dog quietly watched the children play in the yard.

  • After the surgery, the once-barkless puppy began to find its voice.

Surface Forms

barkless positive

Morphology

barkless = bark (transparent) = bark + less

Standard negation suffix '-less' applied to the base 'bark' (sound), yielding 'without barking'; learners can infer this meaning.

Etymology

Barkless is formed from bark + -less, with bark meaning the dog's 'sound' and -less meaning 'without', so a barkless dog is one that is quiet or does not make the usual barking noise.