The animal’s homeland is America, and it turned into an “overseas pig”, and then completely into a guinea pig. Many people are surprised why cute, furry, rather miniature animals are called pigs, and even sea pigs.
By appearance They don’t look much like piglets, and they can’t stand water procedures.
There is an explanation for this “philological riddle,” but to solve it you will have to take a trip into history.
The homeland of guinea pigs is South America. They are common in the Andes and live in groups in self-dug burrows, just like wild rabbits. The natural color of these rodents is modest and does not differ in variety; it has a gray-black tint.
Indians have long consumed guinea pig meat: it has a delicate and pleasant taste and is considered dietary.
Wild pig. In Peru, these animals are still raised on farms and served in restaurants as a delicacy.
Of course, when breeding, special attention is paid not to obtaining new colors, as in decorative breeds, but to increasing the size of individuals. Some “meat” pigs reach a weight of 4 kg.
During the discovery and conquest of America, the Spaniards paid attention to funny plump animals with a body and head shape reminiscent of suckling pigs. We tried it and liked it. This is how guinea pigs came to Europe, and then to Asia and Africa. Gradually they began to play exclusively the role of pets.
Linguistic versions of the origin of the name
In Spain, France, Italy and Portugal, the guinea pig is called "Indian". Why? It’s simple, because at first America was considered and called India. The English version is “Guinea” (possibly bought for a guinea; perhaps the British confused America with Guinea, which is closer and more understandable to them).
In Russia, things were even simpler. Why is the guinea pig called so - guinea pig? Was a foreign “unknown animal” brought from overseas? So she's overseas. Gradually, the prefix “for” lost its meaning, and the pig turned into a guinea pig. Obviously, the Germans had the same line of thinking; in Germany, the principle of phrase structure is identical to Russian.
Pigs on a ship - lucky?
With the development of navigation, pigs, living up to their name, began to travel on ships. They were used as food. This was convenient in many ways.
Animals were brought to Europe on ships. These unpretentious compact animals did not take up much space, did not require special care, were flexible, but had excellent meat.
In addition, they got along well with the permanent inhabitants of the holds - rats (relatives, after all), and in times of danger they made sharp and piercing sounds, warning the crew about a possible shipwreck.
In a word, comfortable and profitable “passengers” from all sides.
Tricks of cunning priests
In the time of Columbus, Catholic priests were distinguished by gluttony - they loved to eat delicious food and tried in every possible way to circumvent the strict requirements of fasting. With the discovery of America, they had new opportunities to circumvent the rules.
The “holy fathers” reasoned like this. Guinea pigs are brought on ships by sea. And with them - their distant relatives - the world's largest aquatic rodents - capybaras. This means that they can be classified as fish and, accordingly, eaten during fasting.
You got out of it, you can’t say anything!
Why pigs anyway? There are several reasons:
- They make sounds similar to grunting.
- They are similar in body structure - rounded head and body, short limbs.
- Delicious juicy meat, however, in guinea pigs it is more like rabbit meat.
Looking at a guinea pig, it’s hard not to smile. The nimble fidget moves funny, makes funny sounds and looks very cute. In addition, he has an easy-going, good-natured character, which makes this creature an almost ideal pet. But why its name contains the word “sea” is not clear. And in general, the name of the animal is full of misunderstandings.
Little old-timers (guinea pigs and antiquity)
Fluffy animals were tamed by the Incas in ancient times. Some South American peoples even worshiped them and used them in ritual sacrifices. Others were bred solely for food. On the Peruvian version of the painting " last supper“In the center of the table there is a dish with fried pig.
In the 16th century, Spanish colonizers saw the furry baby at the market and then tried its meat in a local tavern. The taste was reminiscent of suckling pig or chicken. In addition, local cooks scalded the carcass before skinning, just as when processing pork.
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Today, in the shacks of the descendants of the Incas, it is easy to meet an animal in a cage, unaware of its imminent fate of being fried on the table. And according to legend, the people here believe that stove smoke is beneficial for them. That's why they are kept in kitchens near the fireplace. In restaurants, dishes made from them are served whole with herbs and hot sauces. Meat is considered dietary.
Around 1580, the Spaniards first brought the baby to Europe. An unpretentious disposition and simplicity in everyday life helped to overcome the enormous distance. His unusual appearance, gullibility and unpretentiousness won the heart of a civilized person. And he settled in houses solely for decorative purposes.
Name appearance: guinea pig
And since the route ran through the seas, they called it “overseas”. Over time, the prefix “for” was lost. But the name remained. By the way, mumps is called this way in Germany, Poland and Russia. In England it is called Indian pig, in other countries - Guinea pig, in South America - gui. In her homeland she was considered a little rabbit.
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Today these strange animals are common in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, natural conditions. They prefer abandoned burrows as homes. If necessary, they can dig on their own. The sociable nature sometimes forces them to gather in families of 5-8 individuals. But pigs can’t swim at all and don’t like water.
The homeland of domestic guinea pigs is South America. Guinea pigs are distributed throughout almost the entire territory of this continent. Of course, they have nothing in common with the sea and pigs. Wild pigs differ from domesticated pigs in their lighter body structure and greater mobility. The fur color of a wild animal is black-brown. They move very quickly and agilely, their peak activity is observed in the mornings and at dusk, but they feed only at night. The homes of guinea pigs are just as diverse; some species dig burrows, others build ground shelters from plants, and others use natural shelters, such as rock crevices. They live in flocks consisting of several (ten to twenty) individuals led by one male. Each flock has its own territory, where entry is closed to outside pigs. They feed on accessible parts of plants, from roots to seeds. They reproduce intensively at different times of the year, which contributes to the protection of the species.
Wild pigs were domesticated by humans in pre-Inca times. They were bred throughout almost the entire territory of the Central Andes both for ritual purposes and for food consumption, since the meat of pigs was considered very tasty. The pigs were kept practically the same as ordinary pigs. In enclosures and fed table scraps. This is evidenced by both drawings and found mummies of guinea pigs. During excavations (III-II millennium BC), special rooms for guinea pigs were discovered. There were tunnels lined with stones, passing between adjacent rooms. Numerous pig bones and fish bones were found in them, indicating that fishermen raised the rodents in comfortable quarters and fed them with surplus fish. Even though guinea pigs are herbivores, modern Peruvian fishermen still feed them scraps and kitchen scraps containing large quantities of fish. Guinea pig meat remains a delicacy for residents of the Andean coast to this day.
Guinea pigs were brought to Europe by Spanish conquerors 4 centuries ago from Peru. According to some scientists, the guinea pig came to Europe in 1580. But this rodent does not have a single name. It is called differently in different countries.
In England - Indian little pig, restless cavy, restless cavy, Guinea pig, domestic cavy.
The Indians call the pig a name that Europeans hear as “cavy.” The Spaniards living in America called this animal a rabbit, while other colonists continued to persistently call it a little pig, and this name was brought to Europe along with the animal. Before the arrival of Europeans in America, pigs served as food for the Indians. And all the Spanish writers of that time mention her as a little rabbit.
It seems strange that this animal is called a Guinea pig, although it is not a breed of pig and is not native to Guinea. This is probably explained by how Europeans learned about the existence of mumps. When the Spaniards entered Peru, they saw a small animal for sale that looked a lot like a suckling pig.
Also, writers of those times called America India. Hence another name for the pig - Indian pig.
The name “Guinea pig” is of English origin, and most likely it came from the fact that the British had more trade relations with the shores of Guinea than with South America. The similarity between the pig and the domestic pig came only from the way the natives prepared it for food: they poured boiling water over it to remove the hair, just as they did to remove the bristles from a pig.
In France, the guinea pig is called cochon d "Inde - Indian pig - or cobaye, in Spain it is Cochinillo das India - Indian pig, in Italy - porcella da India, or porchita da India - Indian pig, in Portugal - Porguinho da India - Indian pig, in Belgium - cochon des montagnes - mountain pig, in Holland - Indiaamsoh varken - Indian pig, in Germany - Meerschweinchen - guinea pig.
It can be assumed that the guinea pig spread in Europe from west to east, and the name that exists in Russia - guinea pig, most likely indicates the import of pigs “from overseas”, on ships. For the most part, pigs spread from Germany, so the German name came to us - guinea pig. And in all other countries it is known as Indian pig.
The guinea pig, of course, has nothing to do with either the sea or pigs. The name “pig” itself appeared due to the structure of the animals’ heads. These animals have an elongated body, coarse fur, a short neck, and relatively short legs. The front legs have four and the hind legs have three toes, which have large hoof-shaped claws. The pig has no tail. Guinea pigs are very talkative. In a calm state, a guinea pig's voice resembles the gurgling of water; in a state of fear, it resembles a squeal. In general, the sounds made by this rodent are very similar to the grunting of pigs, this is another reason for such a strange name. Most likely, the guinea pig originally served as food in Europe.
The guinea pig belongs to the order of rodents, family - pigs. She has two false roots, six molars and two incisors in each jaw. A characteristic feature of all rodents is that their incisors grow throughout their lives.
The incisors are covered with enamel - the hardest substance - only on the outer side, so the back of the incisor wears off faster and thanks to this, a sharp, outer cutting surface is always maintained.
The incisors are used for eating roughage.
A guinea pig cannot defend itself from enemies, and if it did not live in a pack, it would be doomed. But due to its massive presence, it is very difficult to take the group by surprise. They have a very keen ear and excellent sense of smell. For more effective protection, they rest and take turns guarding. At the sentry's signal, the pigs instantly hide in their holes. The cleanliness of the animal also serves as additional protection. Guinea pigs often "wash themselves", brush themselves, and lick themselves. It is unlikely that a predator will be able to find them by smell; the fur coat emits only a slight smell of hay.
Currently, many species of wild guinea pigs are known. They all look very similar to domestic ones. The only difference is that the color of the fur is one color, often gray, brown or brownish. Despite the fact that the female has only two teats, there are often 3-4 cubs in one litter. Pregnancy lasts 2 months. The cubs are born well developed, sighted, grow very quickly and after 2-3 months they are already able to give birth to offspring.
The average weight of an adult pig reaches 1 kg, body length is about 25 cm. They live for about 8-10 years, which is quite a long time for a rodent.
The guinea pig is often used as a laboratory animal, as it is highly sensitive to pathogens of many infectious diseases in humans and farm animals.
The guinea pig occupies one of the first places among laboratory animals in the works of domestic and foreign bacteriologists and virologists I.I. Mechnikova, N.F. Gamaleya, R. Koch, P. Ru and others.
To this day, the guinea pig is of great importance as a laboratory animal for medical and veterinary bacteriology, virology, pathology, physiology, etc.
In our country, guinea pig is widely used in all areas of medicine, as well as in studying issues of human nutrition and especially in studying the effect of vitamin C.
Relatives of the guinea pig are: rabbit, squirrel, beaver, capybara.
Guinea pigs are one of the pets with the most controversial opinions about themselves. Some people love them as cute pets, for some they are a source of food, and for others they are mysterious, incomprehensible creatures. But don’t despair, now we will try to find out all the reasons why a guinea pig is a guinea pig.
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Why are guinea pigs called that?
As mentioned above, there are many opinions as to why these rodents have such a name that is not related to rodents. It's no secret that the names of animals in different countries and different languages is different. Also, no one will be surprised by the fact that animals are given names because of any factors influencing their life or behavior: because of their appearance, habits, method of appearance, and others.
Guinea pigs are no exception. Of course, it is not known for certain why these rodents are called pigs. However, why they are called marine is quite understandable. No, they did not come to us from the depths of the sea; they are not famous navigators and, in fact, have nothing to do with the sea. Moreover, they are called “sea” only in a few countries of the world - in Russia, in the former countries of the USSR, Poland and Germany.
There are many opinions about why they are called pigs.
I will try to list them here for you:
- Because of the sounds they make. These sounds are similar to the grunting and squealing of young piglets.
- Because of the shape of the head and body. Proportionally, the head of pigs is similar to the body structure of real pigs, and they also do not have a neck or waist.
- Taste of meat. Initially, in their homeland they were primarily consumed as food. And the meat of these small rodents could resemble the meat of a young pig. Perhaps this factor influenced the name.
- The method of preparing them for food. The Peruvians, in order to remove the fur from the carcasses of these animals, doused them with boiling water. They prepared pig carcasses for cooking in the same way.
- Their love for food. , just like non-marine ones, love to eat. They are constantly chewing something. Perhaps it was this similarity that influenced their name.
- Guinea pigs were transported to Europe by ship and kept in pens in which pigs were usually transported for food for the crew. Maybe that's when they got their name?
Many people are interested in knowing why these animals received such a name. Even schools sometimes assign similar tasks for children’s reports. One girl, having received such an assignment, posted her research online. Look what she did.
origin of name
First, let's try to clarify why they are called “sea”. It's not that complicated. They were brought to Europe from Peru, i.e. from the mainland of South America. And initially they were called “overseas” animals. Over the years, the word “overseas” has been deformed into “sea”. Although, most likely, no one will tell you when this happened and why exactly. Perhaps this is due to our modern language, in which we have not used such words as “overseas” for a very long time. Or maybe we should say maritime is a little shorter than overseas? In any case, now it is definitely called sea and this name has stuck with it for a long time.
If everything is more or less clear with the word “marine”, then why these mammals, and even rodents, are called pigs is completely unclear. Interestingly, the scientific name for guinea pigs is Cavia porcellus, naturally in Latin. And although it is not clear how to translate the word cavia, porcellus is a small pig. This name points us to another mystery rather than revealing the secret of the origin of her name. After all, this means that this animal has been called a pig for a very long time.
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An interesting fact is that in different countries and in different languages these rodents are called pigs, but with different additions. And this despite the fact that the Spanish colonists, seeing these animals, first called them rabbits!
In French they are called "Indian pig", and in Portuguese they are added "little Indian pig", which undoubtedly indicates that they were brought there from India. In Danish they are known as "guinea pig", again due to how they came to Denmark. But they most likely came to China from Holland, because there they are called “Dutch pigs.”
These animals received the closest name, and which has nothing in common with pigs, in Japan and Spain. The Japanese call them morumotto, which is a derivative of the English word translated as "marmot." And in Spanish they still remain “little rabbits from the East Indies.”
But in England they were called quite strangely - guinea pig. Literally, this phrase can be translated as “Guinea pig” or “pig for a guinea.” This name raises several questions and speculation is still being made as to why it is Guinean.
Here are some versions:
- Perhaps it became Guinean because the British were accustomed to considering Guinea part of India. And that’s why they called it that way, showing descendants where, in their opinion, these animals appeared in England.
- According to another version, it is assumed that in Europe they were also originally eaten. And at the market they were sold for a guinea - an English gold coin that was in use until 1816. One can imagine how the British, walking through the market and buying small carcasses of animals unknown to them, could assume that such a breed of pigs lived in India, especially if the carcasses were sold without heads and skins.
- Perhaps that is why they got their name - pigs. And if you consider that a carcass can be bought for a guinea, then here’s the name: pig for a guinea. But all these are just assumptions and nothing more.
These cute animals are interesting not only for their mysterious and almost inexplicable name. There are also a number interesting facts about these little Peruvian rodents.
- The first people to keep them as pets were the Incas. Although they also raised small pigs for food.
- These rodents were first mentioned during the conquest of Peru and Bolivia. In documents of those times they were called “local little rabbits.”
- The peoples inhabiting the Andes, both in the past and to this day, eat guinea pigs for food. However, this reminds us very much of our eating rabbits.
- But Europeans, according to some documents, used guinea pigs primarily as experimental animals in laboratories. And much later they became the pets of Europeans.
- At that moment (when Europeans recognized guinea pigs as pets), these rodents were worth a fortune. And only very wealthy people could afford to have such an animal at home. And the animals themselves were considered rare and were a sign of the luxury of its owner.
- In the wild, guinea pigs live in minks in flocks of 10-15 individuals. They breed all year round.
- There are also some mysteries in the physiology of guinea pigs. For example, babies are born with their eyes open, which is very different from the babies of other rodent species. And within a couple of hours after birth, the baby guinea pig moves calmly and behaves like an independent member of the pack.
- Female pigs remain pregnant for 2-2.5 months. And they live on average 7-8 years.
- They have an excellent memory, so they are easy to train.
- In South America, guinea pigs were believed to attract bad luck. Maybe that’s why the indigenous population perceived them only as producers of meat for food?
Video "Naked Guinea Pigs"
Watch a video showing naked mammals. You may find some similarities with the appearance of pigs.
The origin of the Russian name for the animal “guinea pig” apparently comes from the word “overseas”. Later, the word "overseas" became the word "sea". The very origin of the word “overseas” is connected with two points. Firstly, initially guinea pigs came to Russia mostly by sea on ships, that is, “from overseas.” Secondly, they were mostly brought from Germany, where they are called Meerschweinchen. So our name for this animal, "guinea pig", is most likely a simple literal translation of its German name.
We see that the guinea pig has the most indirect relation to the sea, since its homeland is located overseas, that is, as they used to say, “overseas.” And she does not know how to swim, since she is a purely land animal and does not tolerate water. But, nevertheless, some unfortunate animals still have to pay for mistakes and ignorance of people. There are reliably known cases when new owners allowed a guinea pig purchased for their children into aquariums with fish or containers with water so that the animals could “swim” there - they are “sea” after all! And after these poor animals, exhausted from floundering in the water, drowned, some of them called zoological stores and complained indignantly about the death of their acquisition.
But why was this glorious animal nicknamed “pig”? Apparently, this is connected, firstly, with the appearance of the animal. As we remember, to the Spaniards she resembled a suckling pig. The identification of the pig with the domestic pig occurred not only due to the appearance of the animal, but also due to the way the Indians prepared it for food: they poured boiling water over it to clean it of wool, as was done by Europeans to remove the bristles from a pig. Some historians suggest that in Europe, as in its homeland, the guinea pig originally served as a food source. Secondly, apparently, this is due to the fact that they have a large head, a short neck and a thick body and a peculiar structure of the fingers of the limbs. They are armed with elongated, hoof-shaped, ribbed claws, which somewhat resembled the hooves of piglets to our ancestors. And thirdly, if at rest the pig makes gurgling sounds, then when frightened it switches to a squeal, which is somewhat very similar to a pig’s.
Until the mid-19th century, guinea pigs were very expensive and were available only to rich people. This is reflected in the English name of the animal guinea pig - “pig for a guinea”. Until 1816, the guinea was the main gold coin in the British Empire. The guinea got its name from the African country of Guinea, which at that time was a British colony and a supplier of gold that went to England for minting gold coins.
There is another translation - “Guinea pig”, which is mentioned by some authors. M. Cumberland explains the name “Guinea pig” by the fact that the British had more trade relations with their colony than with South America, and therefore were accustomed to looking at Guinea as part of India. And as we remember, one of the early European names for the guinea pig was “Indian pig”.
It should be noted that nowadays the British more often call it Cavy or Cui. In addition to the above names, in England you can still find other, less common names for this cute animal: Indian little pig, restles cavy, restless cavy, Gvinea pig and domestic cavy.