What’s in a name?
The Kuvasz is a native and ancient dog breed of Hungary. The name is pronounced KOO-vahss in the Hungarian language and the the plural is not Kuvaszes, but Kuvaszok, pronounced KOO-vah-sock. Mention of this breed can be found in old Hungarian texts and books. In the past it was used to guard livestock, but has been increasingly found in homes as a pet over the last seventy years.
The word, Kuvasz, has an interesting origin. Some believed it has Sumerian origins. However, it most likely comes from the Turkic word kavas meaning guard or soldier or kuwasz meaning protector. Turkey invaded Hungary in the 16th century, so it is not surprising that the name of the dog was also influnced by them. Other theories believe it may have originated from the ancient farmers of Russia, the Chuvash, who also owned similar flock guards, and nurtured and contributed many words to the Hungarian language. The Sumerian-origin theory hypothesizes that the name comes from the Sumerian phrase Ku Assa, meaning dog of the horse, and that the Hungarian word kutya, meaning dog, is also derived from ancient Sumerian. Since Hungarians are originally from the East, all three may be correct. Nevertheless, it only shows how old this breed really is!
