Guinea-Pig
/ˈɡɪn.i ˌpɪɡ/noun
A small tailless rodent often kept as a pet or used in scientific experiments.
Did you know?English called it a “guinea pig” because the animal reached Europe through long-distance trade and was linked in the imagination to exotic foreign lands, not because it came from Guinea or had anything to do with pigs.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
guinea pig
“A small imported rodent, newly encountered in Europe and associated with foreign trade.”
16th Century
English
guinea
“A term used for things thought to come from West Africa or from overseas trade; later also a gold coin named for the Guinea region.”
16th Century
Dutch
guinees varken
“Literally 'Guinean pig,' an early European name for the animal.”
16th Century
Spanish
conejillo de Indias
“Literally 'little rabbit of the Indies,' a common Iberian name for the same animal.”
Modern English
English
guinea pig
“The standard English name for the rodent, and figuratively a test subject.”
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