schipperke

== English == === Etymology === From Belgian Dutch (Flemish), but unclear at the word level. Conventionally taken to be schipper (“skipper”) +‎ -ke (“diminutive suffix”), allegedly alluding to a role as watchdog and/or rodent catcher on canal boats. Alternatively, a mutation of scheperke, a diminutive of scheper (“shepherd, sheepdog”), referring to the breed's purported descent from an extinct larger breed of sheepdogs. Related to the etymological debate is a longstanding informal one about whether the dog itself should be regarded as a spitz or a miniature sheepdog. For more, see Schipperke § History on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Noun === schipperke (plural schipperkes) (zoology) A small breed of dog developed in Belgium, sometimes used as a watchdog on boats. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === schipperke on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Finnish == === Etymology === < Dutch schipperke === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈʃipːerke/, [ˈʃipːe̞rk̟e̞] Rhymes: -ipːerke === Noun === schipperke schipperke (breed of dog) ==== Declension ====