| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:anyone know anything about Guinea Pigs? | |
| Posted by: | Charlotte Kasner | |
| Date/Time: | 19/05/15 12:35:00 |
| This is Wiki's take on the etymology: "The origin of 'guinea' in 'guinea pig' is hard to explain. One theory is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there. 'Guinea' was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal's foreignness. Others believe 'guinea' may be an alteration of the word coney (rabbit); guinea pigs were referred to as 'pig coneys' in Edward Topsell's 1607 treatise on quadrupeds." Most fanciers call them caveys (from the taxonomical reference)and this was certainly the common term in the 19thC when they were often kept as pets on ships. |