What's Another Way to Say Guinea Pig?
Some people call these small furry companions guinea pigs, and others call them cavies. Scientists have their own terminology, which is known as Cavia Porcellus. In fact, these cute little pets have a whole lot of names because of so many languages across the globe. So, what’s another way to say guinea pig?
It’s interesting that only in English guinea pigs have several names. You’ll hear people calling them piggies, cavy, or just guinea. No matter what you call them, these little tailless animals have stolen the hearts of countless people around the world.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say guinea pigs in different languages, how the name originated, and what do guinea pigs mean in slang. So let’s jump into it.
How Do You Say Guinea Pig in Other Languages?
Learning new ways to say guinea pig is an exciting activity but will your pet recognize it? Probably not, but your friends and family members will surely be amazed.
All the terms listed below in different languages are from renowned dictionaries. We are sure that you’ll have fun learning new words for guinea pigs in different languages. Let’s first discuss the origin of the word “guinea pig.”
Where Does the Word Guinea Pig Come From?
Interestingly, guinea pigs aren’t from Guinea, and they aren’t pigs either, and the word has an enigmatic and complex history. These cute little animals are originally from South America, and they were locally known as sabuia or çabuia.
In the early 16th century, European travelers started taking guinea pigs from South America to Europe, and they got a new name from this process. Çabuia because “Cavia” is still used for guinea pigs in many languages such as Turkish, Frisian, and Dutch.
None of the sources and names of guinea pigs in different languages show that these cavies are from Guinea. The name “guinea pig” started appearing in the early 1950s (around 100 years after the very first guinea pig reached Europe) in different English printed sources.
No one knows for sure why English became one of the two popular languages of Europe to adopt this name. The other language was Latin that used the word guinea pig for these cavies as well.
Art and literature show that guinea pigs were kept as pets during the lifetime of Shakespeare. It was established back in 2013, thanks to the discovery of a 16th-century painting that features a guinea pig as a pet.
What’s Guinea Pig in French?
If you don’t already know, about 15 percent of the world’s population speak French, and it ranks 5th in the most spoken languages of the world.
French has multiple words for guinea pigs, and the most commonly known one is “Cochon d'inde.”
Other words for guinea pig in French are:
- Le cobaye: noun
- Guinée porc
What’s Guinea Pig in Spanish?
Spanish is also one of the major languages in the world, and according to official stats, it’s spoken by about 5 percent of the world’s population, which is even more than English.
There are multiple words for guinea pig in Spanish, and “Conejillo de Indias” is the most commonly used one.
Other words for guinea pig in Spanish are:
- El conejillo de indias: Noun
- El cobayo: Noun
- Conejillo: Noun
- Cobaya
How Do You Say Guinea Pig in Peru?
The official language of Peru is also Spanish. According to the recent stats, about 84 percent of the Peruvian population speaks Spanish, and it has the same words for a guinea pig as we discussed in the Spanish language section.
How Do You Say Guinea Pig in Japanese?
The Japanese language is spoken almost exclusively in Japan. The most commonly used word for a guinea in Japanese is “morumotto.”
How Do You Say Guinea Pig in German?
German, as you would already know, is the official language of Germany, and it also has many words for guinea pigs. However, the most commonly used one is “meerschweinchen.”
Other words that are also used in German for guinea pig are:
- Versuchskaninchen
- Meersau
- Meerschwein
- Versuchskarnickel
How Do You Say Guinea Pig in Chinese?
Chinese is also one of the major languages of the world, with more than 1.31 billion speakers because of the staggering population of China. It’s also almost exclusively spoken in China, and the most commonly used word for guinea pigs in Chinese is “Túnshǔ.”
Tian zhu shu is another word that some people use, but it’s not very prevalent.
What is A Guinea Pig in Slang?
Guinea pig is also used as slang, and it refers to the person who is subjected to an experiment or the first one to try something new. That’s because of the fact that guinea pigs have been used by biologists and scientists as model organisms in laboratories.
If someone calls you a guinea pig, it means some new method or idea is tested on you, and you’re a part of some experiment. It’s important to note that when someone calls you a guinea pig, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the experiment you're participating in is taking place in a lab.
The term guinea pig for the person who is subjected to some experiment was first used way back in 1920, and people still use this expression.
Example of Guinea Pig in Slang
Let’s suppose your friend asks you to try milk which smells a little odd. So, you can reply, “I’m not your guinea pig; why don’t you try it yourself.”
You can use this expression in this way anytime you want. But we recommend you not to use it if you’re talking to someone from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) because they don’t like this slang. 😉
Summary
Guinea pigs do so much more than just helping scientists and biologists in labs. People keep them as pets, and they’re adorable enough to brighten you up when you get home after a long day.
We hope this guide has helped you learn new words for your cute cavies to impress your family and friends. Happy petting!