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Is the English“guinea pig”a pig from Guinea, and the German “Meerschweinchen” a piggy from the sea?, or two old problems revisited

Publication date: 30.06.2014

Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 2014, Volume 131, Issue 2, pp. 221 - 228

https://doi.org/10.4467/20834624SL.14.012.2020

Authors

Marek Stachowski
Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gołębia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0667-8862 Orcid
All publications →

Titles

Is the English“guinea pig”a pig from Guinea, and the German “Meerschweinchen” a piggy from the sea?, or two old problems revisited

Abstract

The old problem of the origins of the English name guinea pig is discussed here in the context of its equivalents in some other European languages (one of them being German Meerschweinchen).
Some new suggestions concerning both components of the English name and the original meaning of the German designation are made.

References

DRUA = de la Che(s)naye des Bois 1759.

DWB = Grimm & Grimm 1854–1858.

ODEE = Onions 1966.

OE = Krünitz 1773–1858.

OED = Simpson J.A. & Weiner E.S.C. (eds.). 1989. Oxford English dictionary. [2nd edition; vol. 6]Oxford.

 

Adelung J.Ch. 1798. Grammatisch-kritisches Wörterbuch der hochdeutschen Mundart, mit beständiger Vergleichung der übrigen Mundarten, besonders aber der Oberdeutschen [sic!]. [vol. 3]. Leipzig.

Chambers W. 1872. Chambers’s etymological dictionary of the English language. [Donald J. (ed.)]. London, Edinburgh.

de la Che(s)naye des Bois F.(-A.). 1759. Dictionnaire raisonné universel des animaux, ou le règne animal, consistant en quadrupèdes, cétacés, oiseaux, reptiles, poissons, insectes, vers, etc. par M.D.L.C.D.B. [= Monsieur de la Che(s)naye des Bois]. Paris.

Gayton E. 1654. Pleasant notes upon Don Quixot. London.

Gold D.L. 1996. Etymology and etiology in the study of proper nouns, eponymous lexemes, and possibly eponymous lexemes (English Molotov cocktailFezConestoga wagonMargaritaDominicanVolcanoParthian shotMoro, Guinea pigLaserDefender of the FaithHooverizeArgosyTartarWalkmanVandyke beard,Vandyke brownVandyke collar and Mae West). – Onomastica 41: 109–38.

Grimm J. & Grimm W. 1854–1858. Deutsches Wörterbuch. Leipzig.

Kluk J.K. 1779. Zwierząt domowych i dzikich, osobliwie kraiowych, historyi naturalney początki i gospodarstwo. Potrzebnych i pożytecznych domowych chowanie, rozmnożenie, chorób leczenie, dzikich łowienie, oswoienie, zażycie, szkodliwych zaś wygubienie. [vol. 1: O zwierzętach ssących]. Warszawa.

Krünitz J.G. 1773–1858. Oeconomische Encyclopädie oder allgemeines System der Staats-[,] Stadt-[,] Haus- u[nd] Landwirthschaft, in alphabetischer Ordnung. Berlin.

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Information

Information: Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis, 2014, Volume 131, Issue 2, pp. 221 - 228

Article type: Original article

Titles:

Polish:

Is the English“guinea pig”a pig from Guinea, and the German “Meerschweinchen” a piggy from the sea?, or two old problems revisited

English:

Is the English“guinea pig”a pig from Guinea, and the German “Meerschweinchen” a piggy from the sea?, or two old problems revisited

Authors

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0667-8862

Marek Stachowski
Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gołębia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0667-8862 Orcid
All publications →

Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gołębia 24, 31-007 Kraków, Poland

Published at: 30.06.2014

Article status: Open

Licence: None

Percentage share of authors:

Marek Stachowski (Author) - 100%

Article corrections:

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Publication languages:

English