An alternative or archaic spelling of dachshund, a small dog breed with short legs and a long body, originally from Germany.
From German 'Dachshund,' combining 'Dachs' (badger) and 'Hund' (dog). This spelling variant 'dachshound' represents an Anglicized attempt to spell out the pronunciation of the German word.
The spelling 'dachshound' reveals how English speakers struggled to write down the unfamiliar German word—by breaking it into 'dachs' and 'hound,' it becomes phonetically clear but loses the original German structure, which is why modern English settled on 'dachshund' instead.
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