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Afghan hound

Afghan hound

1 5.2
A tall, elegant dog with a long silky coat that runs fast
  • noun
  • /ˈæfɡən haʊnd/
translation icon : galgo afgano
  • During a sunny afternoon, my friend took her Afghan hound for a run in the park, where it elegantly sprinted across the grass.

Examples

  • Afghan Hounds

    Blog text (11)
  • At the dog show, the Afghan hound stood proudly, showcasing its long, silky coat and graceful movements.

  • The Afghan hound is known for its speed and elegance, making it a popular choice among dog enthusiasts.

How Fast

greyhound
46 2.4
Afghan hound
1 5.2
beagle
23 1.3
pug
24 1.0

Surface Forms

Afghan hound singular
Afghan hounds plural

Morphology

Afghan + hound

A learner who knows 'Afghan' (from Afghanistan) and 'hound' (a type of dog) can readily infer this refers to a dog associated with Afghanistan — i.e., a breed from Afghanistan. The adjective+noun composition is a regular, cross-linguistic pattern for naming animal types, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Afghan hound may come from dogs from Afghanistan that nomads used as long-legged 'hunting dogs' in the mountains. That's why Afghan names the place and hound shows the dog's job, and it explains why the breed today is tall, fast, and has a long, silky coat.