[Lexicog] Turkey

[Alan H. Hartley]

Koontz John E wrote:

> I tend to suspect that "turkey" in English "Turkey bird"  derives from
> this eastern connection - with one exotic heathen not too carefully
> distinguished from another.

Eng. 'turkey' is from 'turkey-cock', about which the OED says "In the 
16th c. synonymous with Guinea-cock or Guinea-fowl, an African bird 
known to the ancients (as meleagris), the American bird being at first 
identified with or treated as a species of this. The African bird is 
believed to have been so called as originally imported through the 
Turkish dominions; it was called Guinea-fowl when brought by the 
Portuguese from Guinea in West Africa. After the two birds were 
distinguished and the names differentiated, turkey was erroneously 
retained for the American bird, instead of the African. From the same 
imperfect knowledge and confusion Meleagris, the ancient name of the 
African fowl, was unfortunately adopted by Linnæus as the generic name 
of the American bird."