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Guinea

3 stages from Berber to English.

Today it means Historically a British gold coin (still used as a unit of value in some pricing); the name also survives in 'guinea fowl' and 'guinea pig,' referencing West Africa.

Where does the word "guinea" come from? It comes from Berber aginaw, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
aginaw
Berber · medieval
"black people, or land of the black people"
a Saharan Berber term used by North Africans for the peoples and lands south of the Sahara
2
Stage 2 of 3
Guine
Portuguese · 1400s
"the West African coastal region"
Portuguese explorers adopted the North African term for the West African coast they were charting
3
Stage 3 of 3
guinea
English · 1600s
"a former English gold coin; also part of animal names like guinea fowl and guinea pig"
coins struck from West African gold, and the region's name, gave English 'guinea' for the coin, plus guinea fowl and guinea pig
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