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How Did Thanksgiving 'Turkey' Get Its Name? — VOA Learning English

Article · Language: English · Level: hard · Author: VOA Learning English · ≈ 4 min · 528 words

Topics: мистецтво й музика

How Did Thanksgiving 'Turkey' Get Its Name?

Beginning

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…

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Source: learningenglish.voanews.com/a/thanksgiving-turkey-name-around-the-world/4128657.

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