Etymologically
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guinea

Etymology and origin of the English word guinea

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Eponym
First attested
1664
Ultimate origin
English (Guinea)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɡɪni/[1]

Etymology

It is named after Guinea, a region on the coast of West Africa,[2][3][4][5] because the coins were first minted in 1663 for the trade of the Company of Royal Adventurers with Africa and were made of gold from Guinea.[2][4][3] The name of the region is presumably from an African word, perhaps Tuareg aginaw, black people.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A British gold coin: 1664, in John Evelyn's diary; the coin was struck from 1663 to 1813.[2][6][3]

Semantic evolution

The coin was soon in domestic use.[3] A sum of money equal to its value, 21 shillings, is from 1688, and remained in use for professional fees and prices after the coin was withdrawn.[6][7] The word was earlier applied to things brought from Guinea, or vaguely from some distant country, as guinea hen (1578), guinea pig (17th century) and guinea fowl (1788),[4][2] and is a short form for guinea fowl from 1620.[6] As a derogatory term for an Italian or Spanish immigrant it is from 1896, from Guinea Negro (1740s).[3][6]

Timeline

  • 1578 – guinea hen.[2]
  • 1620 – a guinea fowl.[6]
  • 1664 – a gold coin.[6]
  • 1688 – a sum of 21 shillings.[6]
  • 1896 – an Italian (derogatory).[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A British gold coin worth 21 shillings, issued from 1663 to 1813.
  2. A sum of 21 shillings (£1.05), still used in some prices and fees.
  3. A guinea fowl.
  4. (US, offensive slang) An Italian or a person of Italian descent.

Word family

  • Guinean
  • guinea pig
  • helmeted guinea fowl
  • guinea worm
  • guinea fowl

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Guinea.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/guinea. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·