dalmatian

adjective

1. of or relating to Dalmatia or its people.

noun

2. an inhabitant of Dalmatia, especially a member of the native Slavic-speaking people of Dalmatia.
3. Also called coach dog, Dalmatian dog. one of a breed of short-haired dogs having a white coat marked with black or brown spots.
4. a Romance language of Dalmatia, extinct since 1898.

noun

1. Also called (esp formerly): carriage dog, coach dog a large breed of dog having a short smooth white coat with black or (in liver-spotted dalmatians) brown spots
2. a native or inhabitant of Dalmatia

adjective

3. of or relating to Dalmatia or its inhabitants

1810, spotted dog, presumably named for Dalmatia, but dog breeders argue over whether there is a Croatian ancestry for the breed, which seems to be represented in Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes. Popular in early 1800s as a carriage dog, to trot alongside carriages and guard them in owner’s absence. Even fire departments nowadays tend to spell it *Dalmation.