English toy spaniel
- noun
- /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ tɔɪ ˈspæn.jəl/
:
spaniel toy inglés
- The English toy spaniel is known for its gentle temperament and affectionate nature.
Examples
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The English toy spaniel is known for its affectionate nature.
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Many families choose the English toy spaniel as a companion because of its friendly personality.
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She brought her English toy spaniel to the dog show, where it won first place in its group.
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My friend has two English toy spaniels that love to play.
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The English toy spaniel is known for its affectionate nature and playful demeanor.
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She took her English toy spaniel for a walk in the park every afternoon.
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With its beautiful, long coat, the English toy spaniel often attracts attention at dog shows.
Synonyms
1
3.8
A very small dog kept as a pet that often sits on a person's lap
A small friendly dog with red and white fur
A small English dog with a black and tan coat that is gentle and friendly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'English' marks origin, 'toy' signals a very small companion type, and 'spaniel' names a dog breed, so a learner who knows those words can infer it denotes a small British spaniel breed. This adjective+noun+noun construction follows ordinary noun modification patterns (and parallels in other languages), making the meaning immediately derivable from the parts.
Etymology
English toy spaniel may come from dogs kept as small companions. One popular story says spaniel came from dogs brought from Spain long ago, toy shows it was very small and kept on the lap, and English shows the breed was made in Britain, so the name means 'a small British dog kept for company'.