guinea pig

Where does the word "guinea pig" come from? It comes from Quechua quwi, passing through Spanish before entering English (1660s).

Guinea pig’s story begins in Quechua: quwi meant “guinea pig.” The Andean name, an imitation of its squeak; the Inca kept cuy for food, as many Andean families still do. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as cuy. Spanish colonists adopted the Quechua word and also called it 'conejillo de Indias', little rabbit of the Indies. It reached English by 1660s as guinea pig. Neither from Guinea nor a pig: its name may come from Guiana or the slave-trade route via Guinea; 'guinea pig', a test subject, dates from the 1920s. Today, guinea pig means a small South American rodent kept as a pet or used in experiments.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s quwi "guinea pig", the Andean name, an imitation of its squeak; the Inca kept cuy for food, as many Andean families still do.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s cuy "guinea pig", Spanish colonists adopted the Quechua word and also called it 'conejillo de Indias', little rabbit of the Indies.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1660s guinea pig "small rodent", neither from Guinea nor a pig: its name may come from Guiana or the slave-trade route via Guinea; 'guinea pig', a test subject, dates from the 1920s.