Why are Guinea Pigs called guinea pigs? Let’s face it, it’s a pretty strange name. Especially when you know that their scientific name is Cavia porcellus. So, we’ve got to get to the bottom this — why are guinea pigs called guinea pigs anyway? Different theories abound as to why we call them guinea pigs, because they are definitely not related in any way, shape or form to the pig family – they are a member of the rodent family. But it’s not only in English that there are references to the word pig. The Germans call them Meerschweinchen which means ‘little sea pigs,’ and the Russians and Polish have similar names. The French call them cochon d’Inde, which means Indian pig, the Dutch call them guinees biggetje – which is similar to what we know them as and translates to Guinean piglet and the Italians call them Porcellino D’India – little Indian pig. These names all date back to when European ships were travelling around the New World, and when they stopped for food and provisions, the poor little guinea pigs were a cheap and plentiful supply of meat. (Yes, we can’t bear to think of it either…) But none of this really explains exactly why they are known as guinea pigs. But a multitude of theories abound, some of which are closer to the truth than others. One very common misconception is that in Britain they were the closest thing you could buy to a real pig for the price of one guinea. A guinea was an old British denomination of money worth 21 shillings (or £1.05 in the current day). But this story doesn’t add up, as the very first written description of a guinea pig was in 1554 by Konrad Gesner, a Swiss naturalist. This was over a century before the first guinea coin in Britain was even invented. This is unlikely to be the reason why guinea pigs are called guinea pigs. One more likely theory behind the name is that they were picked up by Europeans from the country of Guinea (now known as the Republic of Guinea) in West Africa. Because this is where the Europeans gained possession of them, it was mistakenly thought that this was their natural habitat. Another theory is that the word ‘guinea’ is a corruption of the word ‘Guiana,’ which is an area in South America. Seeing as this is closer to their natural homeland, perhaps this theory is closer to the truth than any of the others. However, it seems that without any definitive proof that the mystery behind the name will remain just that – a mystery. So, why are guinea pigs called guinea pigs? Well, tough saying with certainty–but there are plenty of theories. Ah well, it doesn’t make us love our piggies any less. On the contrary, it adds to their unmistakable charm. In short it was not meant to be as it is !
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 08:15:14 +0000
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