The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is symbolized by its traditional food, a large bird we call a turkey. But turkey is certainly not from Turkey. In fact, its English name is based on one big mistake. We could say it is a case of mistaken identity. Let’s set the record straight. The word “Turkey” has meant “the land of the Turks” since ancient times. The word “turkey” as it refers to the bird first appeared in the English language in the mid-1500s. The misunderstanding over the word happened because of two similar-looking kinds of birds. There is an African bird called the guinea fowl. It has dark feathers with white spots and a patch of brown on the back of its neck. Portuguese traders brought the guinea fowl to Europe through North Africa. This foreign bird came to Europe through Turkish lands. So, the English thought of the bird as a “Turkish chicken.” When Europeans came to North America, they saw a bird that looked like the guinea fowl. This bird was native to the North American continent. Orin Hargraves is a lexicographer, someone who writes dictionaries. Hargraves explains what happened. “Some Europeans saw an American turkey, thought that it was the guinea fowl, which at that time was called the ‘turkey cock,’ and so gave it the same name." Hundreds of years later, we continue to call this North American bird “turkey,” even though it has no connection at all with the country Turkey, or even with Europe.
Title: How Did Thanksgiving 'Turkey' Get Its Name?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title=' How Did Thanksgiving 'Turkey' Get Its Name?' data-article-id='5193'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12125'>The U.S. Thanksgiving holiday is symbolized by its traditional food, a large bird we call a turkey.</span> <span data-start-time='12125' data-end-time='17146'>But turkey is certainly not from Turkey.</span> <span data-start-time='17146' data-end-time='24271'>In fact, its English name is based on one big mistake.</span> <span data-start-time='24271' data-end-time='30208'>We could say it is a case of mistaken identity.</span> <span data-start-time='30208' data-end-time='33458'>Let’s set the record straight.</span> <span data-start-time='33458' data-end-time='41479'>The word “Turkey” has meant “the land of the Turks” since ancient times.</span> <span data-start-time='41479' data-end-time='53104'> The word “turkey” as it refers to the bird first appeared in the English language in the mid-1500s.</span> <span data-start-time='53104' data-end-time='62708'>The misunderstanding over the word happened because of two similar-looking kinds of birds.</span> <span data-start-time='62708' data-end-time='76583'>There is an African bird called the guinea fowl. It has dark feathers with white spots and a patch of brown on the back of its neck.</span> <span data-start-time='76583' data-end-time='84438'>Portuguese traders brought the guinea fowl to Europe through North Africa.</span> <span data-start-time='84438' data-end-time='89958'>This foreign bird came to Europe through Turkish lands.</span> <span data-start-time='89958' data-end-time='95813'>So, the English thought of the bird as a “Turkish chicken.”</span> <span data-start-time='95813' data-end-time='104500'>When Europeans came to North America, they saw a bird that looked like the guinea fowl.</span> <span data-start-time='104500' data-end-time='109604'>This bird was native to the North American continent.</span> <span data-start-time='109604' data-end-time='116813'>Orin Hargraves is a lexicographer, someone who writes dictionaries.</span> <span data-start-time='116813' data-end-time='120271'> Hargraves explains what happened.</span> <span data-start-time='120271' data-end-time='133771'>“Some Europeans saw an American turkey, thought that it was the guinea fowl, which at that time was called the ‘turkey cock,’ and so gave it the same name."</span> <span data-start-time='133771' data-end-time='149563'>Hundreds of years later, we continue to call this North American bird “turkey,” even though it has no connection at all with the country Turkey, or even with Europe.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/A.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=16286 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/what_holiday_was_featured_in_this_article.wav'>What holiday was featured in this article?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Thanksgiving'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/thanksgiving.wav'><span>Thanksgiving</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/kwanzaa.wav'><span>Kwanzaa</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/hannukah.wav'><span>Hannukah</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/christmas.wav'><span>Christmas</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=16285 data-hint-location='109604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/_what_is_a_lexicographer.wav'> What is a lexicographer?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='someone who writes dictionaries'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/a_type_of_apple_pie.wav'><span>a type of apple pie</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/someone_specializing_in_turkeys.wav'><span>someone specializing in turkeys</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/someone_who_writes_dictionaries.wav'><span>someone who writes dictionaries</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/a_book_about_turkeys.wav'><span>a book about turkeys</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=16287 data-hint-location='33458' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/the_word_turkey_has_traditionally_meant__blank_.wav'>The word Turkey has traditionally meant <span class='blank'>the land of the Turks</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='the land of the Turks'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/online_school.wav'><span>online school</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/overeating.wav'><span>overeating</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/happy_thanksgiving.wav'><span>Happy Thanksgiving</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4666/the_land_of_the_turks.wav'><span>the land of the Turks</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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