Word origin | Turkey
Word origin | Turkey
The bird we today call a turkey is native to America. Yet, how did it become associated with the country of Turkey?
The answer is that the American wildfowl is not the only bird called a turkey. That, since 1552, is also a name for the guinea-fowl. That bird, native to Africa, was brought to Europe via Turkey. When Europeans arrived in America, they noticed similarities between the guinea-fowl and the American bird and called the latter turkey. So, the name is from the country although the bird is in no way associated with it.
1541, "guinea fowl" (Numida meleagris), imported from Madagascar via Turkey, by Near East traders known as turkey merchants. The larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo) was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523) and thence to wider Europe, by way of Africa and Turkey (Indian corn was originally turkey corn or turkey wheat in Eng. for the same reason). The word turkey was first applied to it in Eng. 1555 because it was identified with or treated as a species of the guinea fowl.
The New World bird itself reputedly reached England by 1524 (when Henry VIII dined on it at court). Turkeys raised by the Pilgrims were probably stock brought from England. By 1575, turkey was becoming the usual main course at an English Christmas. Meaning "inferior show, failure," is 1927 in show business slang, probably from the image of the turkey as a stupid bird.
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
English: Wild Turkey,Common Turkey, Eastern Turkey, Feral Turkey, Florida Turkey, Merriam's Turkey, Mexican Turkey, Plain Turkey, Rio Grande Turkey, Turkey
Scientific: Meleagris gallopavo
French: Dindon sauvage
German: Truthuhn ,Bronzetruthuhn
Spanish:Pavo Común,Guajalote gallipavo, Guajolote gallipavo , Guajolote Norteño
Italian:Tacchino comune
Dutch:Kalkoen
Finnish:Kalkkuna
Czech: Krocan divoký
Danish: Kalkun
Dutch: Wilde Kalkoen
English: French: Dinde sauvage, Dindon
German: Icelandic: Kalkúni
Italian: Tacchino selvatico
Japanese: shichimenchou, シチメンチョウ
Northern sami: Kalkon
Polish: indyk
Russian: Индейка обыкновенная
Swedish: Kalkon
See Also: Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
The bird we today call a turkey is native to America. Yet, how did it become associated with the country of Turkey?
The answer is that the American wildfowl is not the only bird called a turkey. That, since 1552, is also a name for the guinea-fowl. That bird, native to Africa, was brought to Europe via Turkey. When Europeans arrived in America, they noticed similarities between the guinea-fowl and the American bird and called the latter turkey. So, the name is from the country although the bird is in no way associated with it.
1541, "guinea fowl" (Numida meleagris), imported from Madagascar via Turkey, by Near East traders known as turkey merchants. The larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo) was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523) and thence to wider Europe, by way of Africa and Turkey (Indian corn was originally turkey corn or turkey wheat in Eng. for the same reason). The word turkey was first applied to it in Eng. 1555 because it was identified with or treated as a species of the guinea fowl.
The New World bird itself reputedly reached England by 1524 (when Henry VIII dined on it at court). Turkeys raised by the Pilgrims were probably stock brought from England. By 1575, turkey was becoming the usual main course at an English Christmas. Meaning "inferior show, failure," is 1927 in show business slang, probably from the image of the turkey as a stupid bird.
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
English: Wild Turkey,Common Turkey, Eastern Turkey, Feral Turkey, Florida Turkey, Merriam's Turkey, Mexican Turkey, Plain Turkey, Rio Grande Turkey, Turkey
Scientific: Meleagris gallopavo
French: Dindon sauvage
German: Truthuhn ,Bronzetruthuhn
Spanish:Pavo Común,Guajalote gallipavo, Guajolote gallipavo , Guajolote Norteño
Italian:Tacchino comune
Dutch:Kalkoen
Finnish:Kalkkuna
Czech: Krocan divoký
Danish: Kalkun
Dutch: Wilde Kalkoen
English: French: Dinde sauvage, Dindon
German: Icelandic: Kalkúni
Italian: Tacchino selvatico
Japanese: shichimenchou, シチメンチョウ
Northern sami: Kalkon
Polish: indyk
Russian: Индейка обыкновенная
Swedish: Kalkon
See Also: Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris)
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