No less of an authority than the Agricultural Dictionary said that “collie” was an obsolete name for sheep that had black faces and legs. That dictionary, by the way, was published in 1743, and collie was spelled “colley.” Confusing, actually, since “colley” was also the name of a small fresh-water fish (what we call a Pond Loach today), as well as an archaic term used to denote something dark or black. Shakespeare, in fact, used the word himself this way in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “Brief as the lightning in the collied night.”

The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon “col” or black, and for this reason, black faced sheep of the North came to be called “colleys,” the most common breed of domestic sheep in the United Kingdom, and what is more properly known as the Scottish Blackface.

It is the way of language that people often come to refer to things that are associated with other things.  When needing a facial tissue, for example, many of us will say, “Hand me a Kleenex, would you,” because “Kleenex” has become a generic descriptor even though it was a trademarked brand. “Velcro” is another word we use because it’s easier to say than, “hook-and-loop fastener,” its proper name.

By association, the sheepdogs that tended the aforementioned sheep came to be called “colley dogs,” and over time, the “dog” part of the name was dropped. By any name, the Collie is among the most beautiful of breeds, and we invite you share a picture of yours below!

Image: “Emmie’s Beauty Sleep” by Kimberly Santini
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