The now extinct great auk of the North Atlantic was a large bird with small wings.
This made it very similar in appearance to the Antarctic penguin that we know today.
Because of these underdeveloped wings, the auk was called a “pin-wing”.
And so in 1578, when the first description of the bird came out of Newfoundland, it was written as it sounded in the local dialect.
Pin-wing became penguin.
The name and the spelling were then given to the auk’s southern look-alike.
Coincidentally, the auk’s Latin name is pinguinis.
Related Posts
-
Why Does a Young Penguin Stick Its Head in Its Mother’s Mouth?
Almost all young birds get their food directly from their mother, and the penguin is no exception. But the mother penguin not only provides her young with food, she partially digests it for…
-
How Is The Penguin The Fastest Swimming Bird On Earth?
Most birds are built for life in the air, but penguins are far better equipped for life in the water. These flightless birds use their wings as paddles when they're swimming, enabling them…
-
Why do Mother Penguins Abandon Their Eggs Leaving the Penguin Fathers to Raise the Chicks Alone?
It's true that mother Penguins jump ship after laying her eggs, but to be fair to penguin mothers everywhere, it's not the whole story. Penguins don't normally spend much time on land, because all…
-
How Did the Penguin Get its Name, What Does it Mean, And Where Do Penguins Live?
Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds that live only in Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere. The word "penguin" is neither French, Breton nor Spanish in origin. Many etymologists believe that the name is from…
-
How is The Ukraine Similar To Russia?
The Ukraine is a region in the southwest part of the Soviet Union. It borders on the Black Sea and on some of the nations of eastern Europe. Its name comes from u-kraj,…
-
What Is Saturn Made of and How Is Saturn’s Composition of Hydrogen and Helium Similar To the Planet Jupiter?
Within the rings lies the second largest planet in the solar system, Saturn. Its composition is similar to that of its next-door neighbor, Jupiter, mostly hydrogen and helium gases. The planet's ice-covered core…
