In portuguese, we named “porquinho da índia” (little pig from india) the animal that is known in english as “Guinea pig”. Do any of you guys have anything similar to this with a name from another country?
August 4, 2025
Like, we have a game called "cabra cega" (blind goat) which some spainsh speaking countries call blind hen😂
50 comments
🇧🇪 (FR) we call them cochon d’Inde (Indian pig)
We call guinea pig the sea piggy
German 🇩🇪 – we call the guinea Pig „Meerschwein“ so „sea pig“ 🐷🌊
Also sloth is called „Faultier“ (lazy animal). It‘s the same in Spanish (El perezoso) and Polish (lenistwo)
The Spanish Disease
In Spanish it’s “Little Rabbit from the Indies” (Conejillo de Indias)
They are called almuerzo in Peru
In Denmark it´s “Marsvin” equals sea pig , since it came to Europe via the sea and is a fat little dude like the pig
In danish, guinea pigs are called marsvin (sea pig) – but the little whale porpoise, which is quite common here, is also called marsvin. I don’t know who came up with that idea, but it wasn’t very good.
In Hungarian it is pig from the sea. Tengerimalac
In Portugal we call the bird “turkey” as “peru”, that counts as two countries? 😄
Orange in Greek is portokáli (πορτοκάλι) (yes, from Portugal)
Edit: Greek spelling
In Denmark, a “Spanish tube”, is a stick teachers used to use, to beat knowledge into children who didn’t listen.
In rkmanian it’s guinea piggy: porcușor de guinea
The bird called “turkey” in English. Ukrainian – Indyk (Indian), Portuguese – Peru, Estonian – kalkun (Calcutta)
In Italian we call it “porcellino d’India” too. 😂
In Italian, it’s porcellino d’India, just like in Portuguese.
Also, what you call cabra cega is called mosca cieca in Italian, mosca means fly in English
I think most commenters missed the point of the post.
Cavia in Dutch
Cochon d’Inde.
Hmm Im afraid in the Netherlands its just cavia. Does that have any countries’ reference?
We used to call cockroaches “Swabian beetles” and maize “Turkic corn”.
In German sea piglet.
In polish sea piglet
Canada Goose
Shetland Pony (if Shetland counts)
If Dog breeds count, many dogs are named for countries. French Bulldog. German Shepherd. Siberian* Husky
*not yet its own country
Not a country but a hippo in Slovene is called the *Nile horse*
Danish pastry is called viineri in Finnish although Wiener in many other languages is a sausage.
In Germany hippos are called Nilpferd, wich means Nile horse after the river if that counts, it’s not a country but a geological place
A hippo is called a “nijlpaard” in Dutch, which is Nile horse.
In france we call a cake made out of brioche, custard and icing a “chinois” (a chinese)., no idea why.
We also call the guinea pig “Pig from India” (cochon d’Inde)
The word in various languages for the bird called in English “turkey” is basically world history in a single meal (and leftovers the next day).
Doesn’t every country call the pox the [country next door] disease?
There is a game called “blinde Kuh” in German, i.e. blind cow.
In Germany you can say someone is “hinter schwedischen Gardinen” which translates to “behind swedish curtains” meaning this person is in jail.
Not animals, but in (eastern) Piedmontese (yup, so mainstream, I know) there’s a bunch of fruit that’s named after the commercial routes they took:
– oranges (like in other languages) are called portugal
– apricots are armognà (coming from Armenia)
– peaches are persi (from Persia)
The bird called *Turkey* in English is called “Dinde” (FromIndia, in a single word) in French.
I am not Dutch, but I like that the Dutch name for a leopard is Luipaard. My dumb brain can’t help but break the word up and then wonder why someone named it ‘lazy horse’.
That’s such a bizarre way to phrase the question.
In Portuguese we call guinea pigs “porquinho da India” (little pig from India).
Not animals from certain places. But in English “Deer” is cognate with other Germanic languages “Tier” (or equivalent), but in English it only refers to, well, deer. In other Germanic languages it just means animals.
In Italian it’s “Porcellino d’india”, like in Portuguese.
We call them “tengeri malac” aka “sea pig”. Don’t ask!
In Spanish, Guinea pigs are called “conejillo de Indias” (lit. “little rabbit from the Indies”. However, nowadays “cobaya” is a more common word for them – but “conejillo de Indias” is still used metaphorically to refer to a test subject.
In French as well, cochon d’Inde
some from Hungary:
greek melon (görögdinnye) – watermelon
schwaben bug (svábbogár) – cockroach
turk honey (törökméz) – honeycomb toffee
californian pepper (kaliforniai paprika) – bell pepper
szekler cabbage ([székelykáposzta](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sz%C3%A9kelyk%C3%A1poszta)) – sauerkraut with pork stew. This one actually got its name from a person (József Székely) and has nothing to do with Szekler people.
Wait aren’t guinea pigs from South America?
So does this have something to do with Columbus believing he landed in India, or is India related to this in some other way?
Nope, we call it a Cavia
Always found it funny that English calls ceramic stuff “china”
I don’t know it’s not exactly what you asked about but it kinda reminded me of syphilis. French people called it “Italian sickness” or “English sickness”, in Poland it used to be called “French sickness” or “German sickness”, in Russia “Polish sickness”. You can sort of track how it spread out from west to east… 😀
Norway.
Guinea Pig in Norwegian is called «Utadæsjælopplevelse», which roughly translates to «other worldly hamster sighting» in English. The strange name is due to it being very odd, when comparing to typical Norwegian animals.
Due to the long Norwegian name, many people only call it «GP» (short for Guinea Pig).
Sewing terms: in English we have a ‘French seam’, the exact same seam finish is called ‘English seam’ in Dutch.
Buckwheat is called grano saraceno (saracen grain) in Italian
A cattle grid in Spanish is a canadian pass or canadian barrier. And to pretend you are distracted or not seeing something is to play Sweadish (hacerse el Sueco)
“Conejillo de indias” (little rabbit from India) or cobaya, in Spanish. Both terms are used.
50 comments
🇧🇪 (FR) we call them cochon d’Inde (Indian pig)
We call guinea pig the sea piggy
German 🇩🇪 – we call the guinea Pig „Meerschwein“ so „sea pig“ 🐷🌊
Also sloth is called „Faultier“ (lazy animal). It‘s the same in Spanish (El perezoso) and Polish (lenistwo)
The Spanish Disease
In Spanish it’s “Little Rabbit from the Indies” (Conejillo de Indias)
They are called almuerzo in Peru
In Denmark it´s “Marsvin” equals sea pig , since it came to Europe via the sea and is a fat little dude like the pig
In danish, guinea pigs are called marsvin (sea pig) – but the little whale porpoise, which is quite common here, is also called marsvin. I don’t know who came up with that idea, but it wasn’t very good.
In Hungarian it is pig from the sea. Tengerimalac
In Portugal we call the bird “turkey” as “peru”, that counts as two countries? 😄
Orange in Greek is portokáli (πορτοκάλι) (yes, from Portugal)
Edit: Greek spelling
In Denmark, a “Spanish tube”, is a stick teachers used to use, to beat knowledge into children who didn’t listen.
In rkmanian it’s guinea piggy: porcușor de guinea
The bird called “turkey” in English. Ukrainian – Indyk (Indian), Portuguese – Peru, Estonian – kalkun (Calcutta)
In Italian we call it “porcellino d’India” too. 😂
In Italian, it’s porcellino d’India, just like in Portuguese.
Also, what you call cabra cega is called mosca cieca in Italian, mosca means fly in English
I think most commenters missed the point of the post.
Cavia in Dutch
Cochon d’Inde.
Hmm Im afraid in the Netherlands its just cavia. Does that have any countries’ reference?
We used to call cockroaches “Swabian beetles” and maize “Turkic corn”.
In German sea piglet.
In polish sea piglet
Canada Goose
Shetland Pony (if Shetland counts)
If Dog breeds count, many dogs are named for countries. French Bulldog. German Shepherd. Siberian* Husky
*not yet its own country
Not a country but a hippo in Slovene is called the *Nile horse*
Danish pastry is called viineri in Finnish although Wiener in many other languages is a sausage.
In Germany hippos are called Nilpferd, wich means Nile horse after the river if that counts, it’s not a country but a geological place
A hippo is called a “nijlpaard” in Dutch, which is Nile horse.
In france we call a cake made out of brioche, custard and icing a “chinois” (a chinese)., no idea why.
We also call the guinea pig “Pig from India” (cochon d’Inde)
The word in various languages for the bird called in English “turkey” is basically world history in a single meal (and leftovers the next day).
In Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) we call the [Eurasian jay](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_jay) a “Vlaamse gaai” or “Flemish jay”.
Doesn’t every country call the pox the [country next door] disease?
There is a game called “blinde Kuh” in German, i.e. blind cow.
In Germany you can say someone is “hinter schwedischen Gardinen” which translates to “behind swedish curtains” meaning this person is in jail.
Not animals, but in (eastern) Piedmontese (yup, so mainstream, I know) there’s a bunch of fruit that’s named after the commercial routes they took:
– oranges (like in other languages) are called portugal
– apricots are armognà (coming from Armenia)
– peaches are persi (from Persia)
The bird called *Turkey* in English is called “Dinde” (FromIndia, in a single word) in French.
I am not Dutch, but I like that the Dutch name for a leopard is Luipaard. My dumb brain can’t help but break the word up and then wonder why someone named it ‘lazy horse’.
That’s such a bizarre way to phrase the question.
In Portuguese we call guinea pigs “porquinho da India” (little pig from India).
Not animals from certain places. But in English “Deer” is cognate with other Germanic languages “Tier” (or equivalent), but in English it only refers to, well, deer. In other Germanic languages it just means animals.
In Italian it’s “Porcellino d’india”, like in Portuguese.
We call them “tengeri malac” aka “sea pig”. Don’t ask!
In Spanish, Guinea pigs are called “conejillo de Indias” (lit. “little rabbit from the Indies”. However, nowadays “cobaya” is a more common word for them – but “conejillo de Indias” is still used metaphorically to refer to a test subject.
In French as well, cochon d’Inde
some from Hungary:
greek melon (görögdinnye) – watermelon
schwaben bug (svábbogár) – cockroach
turk honey (törökméz) – honeycomb toffee
californian pepper (kaliforniai paprika) – bell pepper
szekler cabbage ([székelykáposzta](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sz%C3%A9kelyk%C3%A1poszta)) – sauerkraut with pork stew. This one actually got its name from a person (József Székely) and has nothing to do with Szekler people.
Wait aren’t guinea pigs from South America?
So does this have something to do with Columbus believing he landed in India, or is India related to this in some other way?
Nope, we call it a Cavia
Always found it funny that English calls ceramic stuff “china”
I don’t know it’s not exactly what you asked about but it kinda reminded me of syphilis. French people called it “Italian sickness” or “English sickness”, in Poland it used to be called “French sickness” or “German sickness”, in Russia “Polish sickness”. You can sort of track how it spread out from west to east… 😀
Norway.
Guinea Pig in Norwegian is called «Utadæsjælopplevelse», which roughly translates to «other worldly hamster sighting» in English. The strange name is due to it being very odd, when comparing to typical Norwegian animals.
Due to the long Norwegian name, many people only call it «GP» (short for Guinea Pig).
Sewing terms: in English we have a ‘French seam’, the exact same seam finish is called ‘English seam’ in Dutch.
Buckwheat is called grano saraceno (saracen grain) in Italian
A cattle grid in Spanish is a canadian pass or canadian barrier. And to pretend you are distracted or not seeing something is to play Sweadish (hacerse el Sueco)
“Conejillo de indias” (little rabbit from India) or cobaya, in Spanish. Both terms are used.