From Guinea to Ginzo?

Douglas G. Wilson douglas at NB.NET
Mon Feb 12 08:16:18 UTC 2001


I think probably "Guinea"/"Ghinny" = "Italian" > "Ginzo" by the same
suffixation giving "gonzo" from "gone" -- supposedly an Italian suffix
'-zo'. I suppose "gonzo" was modeled on "Ginzo".

The usual story seems to be that "Guinea" originally meant "dark-skinned",
like the people of the Guinea Coast in West Africa.

-- Doug Wilson



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