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by wickedwillie on June 22nd, 2005

wickedwillie

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How did the name penguin come about?

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  • by wickedwillie on June 22nd, 2005

    wickedwillie

    Penguin is thought by some to derive from the Welsh words pen (head) and gwyn (white), applied to the Great Auk, which had a conspicuous white patch between the bill and the eye (although its head was black), or from an island off Newfoundland known as "White Head" due to a large white rock. According to another theory, the original name was pen-wing, with reference to the rudimentary wings of both Great Auks and penguins. A third theory is that penguin comes from the Latin pinguis (fat).

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