Wild Turkeys around Thanksgiving on sand

Turkeys were domesticated in ancient Mexico, for food and/or for their cultural and symbolic significance. There are two theories for the derivation of the name turkey, both of which may be correct, according to Columbia University professor of Romance languages Mario Pei. One theory is that when Europeans first encountered turkeys in America, they incorrectly identified the birds as a type of guineafowl, which were already being imported into Europe by Turkey merchants via Constantinople and were therefore nicknamed Turkey coqs. The name of the North American bird thus became turkey fowl or Indian turkeys, which was then shortened to just turkeys. A second theory arises from turkeys coming to England not directly from the Americas, but via merchant ships from the Middle East, where they were domesticated successfully. Again the importers lent the name to the bird; Middle Eastern merchants were called Turkey merchants as much of that area was part of the Ottoman Empire. Hence the name Turkey-cocks and Turkey-hens, and soon thereafter, turkeys.

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