1) Native to North and South America.
2.) Domesticated by the Aztecs.
3.) Brought to Iberia by the Conquistadors,
4.) Spread throughout Eurasia by trade and made it's way to England.
5.) Re-introduced to the New World by the English settlers after being renamed for various not particularly certain reasons the Turkey.
You were totally wrong and you obviously didn't even read the section I quoted. The only part you got even close to right was how it was probably named.
If I were grading you in College you'd get a F. I'd give you a lower one for arrogance but they don't get lower.
Keith Whaley wrote:
Peter J. Alling wrote:
Keith Whaley wrote:
[...]
The "Guinea fowl" name came from the fact that this genus (Meleagris galloparo) was originally imported to Portugal from New Guinea, which was a Turkish territory back then. Over time, the bird's name became commonly known as a Turkey.
How long the North American turkey was here, and from where it came specifically, I don't know, but the above history is true.
Sorry that's wrong. See:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_turkey_learning_kit.htm#Q1
"Wrong?" All I see is a massive elaboration and coloration of most of my comments.
The only thing that URL didn't address was my unoriginal thesis that the name came about as a result of the Portuguese importation from New Guinea, a territory of Turkey.
For refutation of any of those contentions, you'll have to take it up with the authors of "The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology," The Oxford Universisty Press, London, the source I used.
keith whaley
keith
Now why is it can I never seem to remember anything useful?
graywolf
Peter J. Alling wrote:
My strange sense of humor is all. Due to an accident of history this native American Bird is called a Turkey. A term of derision in American English, due to the domesticated variety of turkey's supposed stupidity, is to call someone a "Turkey", Then there is the statement in the true but not necessarily important category "You are what you eat."
[...]
--
I can understand why mankind hasn't given up war. During a war you get to drive tanks through the sides of buildings and shoot foreigners - two things that are usually frowned on during peacetime.
--P.J. O'Rourke
