mongrel
UK[ˈmʌŋɡrəl]US[ˈmʌŋɡrəl]
n
A dog of no definable type or breed, especially one resulting from uncontrolled or accidental breeding.
n
A person or thing of mixed and often indeterminate origin or composition.
Morpheme Breakdown
mong
rel
mong
mix
rel
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'mongrel' has a purely English pedigree, emerging in the late Middle English period. It is built upon the now-archaic verb 'mong', meaning to mix, which traces back to the Old English collective noun 'gemong', signifying a crowd or assembly. The addition of the depreciative suffix '-rel' (as in 'scoundrel' or 'wastrel') creates a term that literally denotes "a thing of mixed or mingled stock." This etymological logic directly informs its modern usage, applying first to dogs of mixed breed and later extending metaphorically to anything of hybrid or impure origin.
Analysis
Structure: mong (mix) + rel (noun suffix)
The first part, 'mong', originates from the obsolete English verb 'mong', meaning "to mix" or "to mingle," itself from Old English 'gemong' (a mingling). The suffix '-rel' is a diminutive or pejorative noun-forming suffix of Germanic origin.
Examples
The shelter was full of lovable mongrels of every shape and size.
The language was a mongrel of several regional dialects.
He described the architectural style as a mongrel of classical and modern elements.