different between maltese vs bichon

Italian

Etymology

From Malta +? -ese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mal?te.ze/
• Hyphenation: mal?té?se
• Rhymes: -eze

Adjective

maltese (plural maltesi)

1. Maltese

Noun

maltese m or f (plural maltesi)

1. Maltese person

maltese m (uncountable)

1. The Maltese language

   Synonym: (rare) malti

Noun

maltese m (plural maltesi)

1. A Maltese coin from the 18th century
2. A Maltese breed of dog

Related terms

• Malta

References

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French bichon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi??n/

Noun

bichon (plural bichons)

1. Any of a class of toy dogs with curly or wavy hair and long curled tails.
2. (especially Canada, US) A Bichon Frisé.

Translations

See also

• Bichon Frisé
• Bolognese
• Bolonka
• Coton de Tulear
• Havanese
• Löwchen
• Maltese

Further reading

• bichon on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

From Middle French bichon (“small long-haired dog”), from Old French biche (“bitch, female dog”), from Old English bi??e (“female dog”), from Proto-Germanic *bikj? (“female dog, bitch”). Cognate with Old Norse bikkja (“female dog”), German Betze (“female dog”). More at bitch.

Alternative etymology derives through clipping of barbichon (“small poodle”), a diminutive of barbiche (“shaggy dog”), however, chronology makes this derivation improbable if not impossible, as bichon is attested since 1588, yet barbichon does not appear until 1694.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.???/

Noun

bichon m (plural bichons, feminine bichonne)

1. bichon
2. lapdog

Derived terms

• bichon à poil frisé
• bichon maltais
• bichonner

Further reading

• “bichon” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).