What's in a name?
Why is a cavy also called a “guinea pig”? The guinea pig is not from Guinea, and it is not related to the pig. So why is it called a guinea pig?
There are many different ideas about how the guinea pig got its name. The Europeans got their first guinea pigs from the country of Guyana. Some people think that “Guyana” was not pronounced correctly by the Europeans (they pronounced it “Guinea”), and the name stuck.
Other people think it is because the guinea pigs sold for the cost of one guinea, which was a type of coin used in Europe.
The word “pig” may have come from the grunting noise they make, their shape, or the fact that guinea pig meat tastes a bit like pork.
Why is a cavy also called a “guinea pig”? The guinea pig is not from Guinea, and it is not related to the pig. So why is it called a guinea pig?
There are many different ideas about how the guinea pig got its name. The Europeans got their first guinea pigs from the country of Guyana. Some people think that “Guyana” was not pronounced correctly by the Europeans (they pronounced it “Guinea”), and the name stuck.
Other people think it is because the guinea pigs sold for the cost of one guinea, which was a type of coin used in Europe.
The word “pig” may have come from the grunting noise they make, their shape, or the fact that guinea pig meat tastes a bit like pork.
