Guinea Pigs: The History and Origins of this Creature's Name

Guinea Pigs: The History and Origins of this Creature's Name

Since first being introduced to the guinea pig almost 500 years ago, they have been known by this name. But if you take a moment to think about it, it seems a strange choice, because they aren't pigs, and don't come from Guinea in West Africa.

So where did the name 'guinea pig' come from? No one can be certain, but there are a couple of theories which are the most likely. In this article we'll investigate them by considering each part of the name on its own.

The 'pig' part of 'guinea pig' is probably the easiest to explain. Although they aren't related to pigs, guinea pigs share numerous characteristics and traits with them. To begin with, they are both quite stocky animals, with large heads and hardly any tail. They both like to spend much of their time eating and sleeping, and both make squeaking noises.

It is likely that people saw these similarities, and hence used the term 'pig' as part of this new animal's name.

The 'guinea' part is harder to explain. The most likely explanation is that they are named after the country of Guinea, even though they do not come from there, and in fact come from South America.

Around this period, it was common for people to refer to any foreign, exotic place as 'Guinea'. The name became synonymous with images of some distant, mystical land, and anything that used this phrase in its name also sounded new and exciting. It is likely that the guinea pig got its name in the same way.

You may also have heard people refer to these animals by another name - the 'cavy'. This comes directly from the guinea pig's Latin name, 'Cavia porcellus', which translates as 'little pig rat'. Although most people call their pets 'guinea pigs', there are many people who call them 'cavies'.

Whichever term you prefer to use, I hope that this article has helped you get a better understanding of its origins.

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