Pig
/pɪɡ/noun
A domesticated hoofed mammal kept for meat and other products.
Did you know?Pig is one of those ancient English words whose origin is still uncertain, which means this common animal name has survived for centuries without a fully solved backstory.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
picga
“a pig or piglet”
Middle English
ME
pigge
“a pig, especially a young one”
Late Middle English
ME
pig
“a pig; the modern form shortens and generalizes the older word”
Modern English
EN
pig
“a domesticated swine”