Why "Guinea Pig"? Not from Guinea or Guyana—It's Andean

Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) originated in the Andes of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, domesticated by the Inca ~5000 BCE. Spanish explorers brought them to Europe, calling them conejillos de Indias ("little rabbits of the Indies"). English speakers confused "Indies" with "India" → "Guinea" (a catch-all term for distant, exotic lands) + "pig" (for their squeals and shape). The name stuck—despite zero connection to West Africa’s Guinea or South America’s Guyana.