a thought for your Christmas bird
Dec. 20th, 2024 07:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calimacTurkeys, the bird, are not from Turkey, the country, but they're named for it from a mistaken association* similar to the one by which American Indians, who are not from India, are nevertheless named as if they were.
Now the country's government wants English-speakers and others to call it Türkiye, which is the spelling in its own language, to reclaim a little unavian dignity. But since they had the name first, they really ought to ask us to change the name of the bird instead.
*Guinea fowl, which aren't from Turkey either, they're from Africa, were imported via Turkey, so they became known as turkey-cocks, and the American birds reminded people of them so they took the same name.
Now the country's government wants English-speakers and others to call it Türkiye, which is the spelling in its own language, to reclaim a little unavian dignity. But since they had the name first, they really ought to ask us to change the name of the bird instead.
*Guinea fowl, which aren't from Turkey either, they're from Africa, were imported via Turkey, so they became known as turkey-cocks, and the American birds reminded people of them so they took the same name.
