Naming the Guinea Pig
This is my favorite part of the Guinea Pig story. The scientific name of the Guinea Pig that we know is Cavia porcellus.
“Porcellus”, meaning in Latin “Little Pig”.
The word “Cavia” has a whole evolving story from different translations of language to language to end up as “Cavy” as a term used by most breeders today.
I would like to add more in here at this point, as it is actually quiet fascinating the roots and evolving of the name, like a scene from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Cavia is a new Latin word; and is a word that has been derived from “cabiai” a term used in the native language in French Guiana to describe the Guinea Pig.
In the language of the local Spanish used in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia the Guinea Pig is called “cuy” and “cuyo”.
The mystery and romance behind the naming of the Guinea Pig is so fascinating. There is no noticeable resemblance between pigs and guinea pigs, certainly very different sizes and body odours. The only other similarity between the two creatures is the sound that they both make. Despite this obvious visual difference many of the European languages have derived in naming the Guinea Pig from the word pig. Other languages have given the Guinea Pig their own names, below you can see the translation into each of the different languages;
“Meerschweinchen” - German and means “sea piglet”
“świnka morska” - Polish
“морская свинка - Russian
“tengerimalac” - Hungarian
“荷蘭豬, hélánzhū” - Chinese and means “Holland Pig”
“Cochon d’Inde” - French meaning “Indian Pig” or “cobaye”
“Guinees biggetje”- Dutch meaning “Guinean piglet” or “cavia” Which is also called the Spaanse rat in some dialects.
“conejillo de Indias” - Spanish and means “little rabbit of the Indies
One of the names that one will see quiet often on the net is "Merswin", derived from the High German language which originally meant “dolphin” and was used to describe the Guinea Pig because of the guinea pigs' high pitch sounds, which are obviously similar to that of a dolphin.
One of the most relevant translations for us here in South Africa is the Japanese word for guinea pig is "モルモット"(morumotto), this word is taken from a similar mountain-dwelling rodent, naming the “marmot”; this is what guinea pigs were called by the Dutch traders who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843. This term “Marmot” has carried on through time as the Dutch migrated to the Southern Parts of Africa the name was carried with them. So today the term “Marmot” , is used by the Afrikaans community in South Africa as the common name to describe the Guinea pig.
My favourite part of the story regarding naming Guinea Pigs is the most unbelievable one, yet it is the one, which calculates and captures the romance of the relationship that I have with Guinea Pigs. It is also suggested that the ships sailing from the New World (also described as the “Guineas”) by the English would pick up guinea pigs, which provided an easily transportable source of fresh meat, for the sailors, that when the Guinea pig landed it was simply named after the far away land “Guinea”.
The unbelievable part of the naming, is the one that I enjoy the most and it is thought that the Guinea Pig got its name from the price that was paid for the pig and that was one Guinea coin, however this romantic notion has also found to be proved incorrect as the guinea was first used in England in 1663, and the term Guinea pig was used as early as 1653 by William Harvey.
This is my favorite part of the Guinea Pig story. The scientific name of the Guinea Pig that we know is Cavia porcellus.
“Porcellus”, meaning in Latin “Little Pig”.
The word “Cavia” has a whole evolving story from different translations of language to language to end up as “Cavy” as a term used by most breeders today.
I would like to add more in here at this point, as it is actually quiet fascinating the roots and evolving of the name, like a scene from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. Cavia is a new Latin word; and is a word that has been derived from “cabiai” a term used in the native language in French Guiana to describe the Guinea Pig.
In the language of the local Spanish used in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia the Guinea Pig is called “cuy” and “cuyo”.
The mystery and romance behind the naming of the Guinea Pig is so fascinating. There is no noticeable resemblance between pigs and guinea pigs, certainly very different sizes and body odours. The only other similarity between the two creatures is the sound that they both make. Despite this obvious visual difference many of the European languages have derived in naming the Guinea Pig from the word pig. Other languages have given the Guinea Pig their own names, below you can see the translation into each of the different languages;
“Meerschweinchen” - German and means “sea piglet”
“świnka morska” - Polish
“морская свинка - Russian
“tengerimalac” - Hungarian
“荷蘭豬, hélánzhū” - Chinese and means “Holland Pig”
“Cochon d’Inde” - French meaning “Indian Pig” or “cobaye”
“Guinees biggetje”- Dutch meaning “Guinean piglet” or “cavia” Which is also called the Spaanse rat in some dialects.
“conejillo de Indias” - Spanish and means “little rabbit of the Indies
One of the names that one will see quiet often on the net is "Merswin", derived from the High German language which originally meant “dolphin” and was used to describe the Guinea Pig because of the guinea pigs' high pitch sounds, which are obviously similar to that of a dolphin.
One of the most relevant translations for us here in South Africa is the Japanese word for guinea pig is "モルモット"(morumotto), this word is taken from a similar mountain-dwelling rodent, naming the “marmot”; this is what guinea pigs were called by the Dutch traders who first brought them to Nagasaki in 1843. This term “Marmot” has carried on through time as the Dutch migrated to the Southern Parts of Africa the name was carried with them. So today the term “Marmot” , is used by the Afrikaans community in South Africa as the common name to describe the Guinea pig.
My favourite part of the story regarding naming Guinea Pigs is the most unbelievable one, yet it is the one, which calculates and captures the romance of the relationship that I have with Guinea Pigs. It is also suggested that the ships sailing from the New World (also described as the “Guineas”) by the English would pick up guinea pigs, which provided an easily transportable source of fresh meat, for the sailors, that when the Guinea pig landed it was simply named after the far away land “Guinea”.
The unbelievable part of the naming, is the one that I enjoy the most and it is thought that the Guinea Pig got its name from the price that was paid for the pig and that was one Guinea coin, however this romantic notion has also found to be proved incorrect as the guinea was first used in England in 1663, and the term Guinea pig was used as early as 1653 by William Harvey.