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cavy (KAY-vee) - n., any of several short-tailed South American rodents (genus Cavia), also known as guinea pigs.
Thanks, Wikimedia!
Long /a/ in that first syllable -- apparently I've been mispronouncing it all these years. The exact number of species is still being debated, but it's between five and eight wild species plus one domesticated species bred (in the Andes) from a couple of them. Grown in South America for meat and outside of it as a pet. The cavy name, which arrived in English in the 1790s, seems to come from a Carib language, possibly Galibi.
Okay, so I kinda misled you when I said it was back to the general mix. But NOW my queue is out of Andean animals.
---L.
Thanks, Wikimedia!
Long /a/ in that first syllable -- apparently I've been mispronouncing it all these years. The exact number of species is still being debated, but it's between five and eight wild species plus one domesticated species bred (in the Andes) from a couple of them. Grown in South America for meat and outside of it as a pet. The cavy name, which arrived in English in the 1790s, seems to come from a Carib language, possibly Galibi.
Okay, so I kinda misled you when I said it was back to the general mix. But NOW my queue is out of Andean animals.
---L.
