guinea
Meaning
- (British, historical) A gold coin originally worth twenty shillings; later (from 1717 until the adoption of decimal currency) standardised at a value of twenty-one shillings.
- Synonym of guinea fowl.
- (US, derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur) A person of Italian descent.
Synonyms
Translations
guinea
ghinea
guinée
γκινέα
spaghettivreterFrequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈɡɪni/
Etymology
From Guinea, the early modern name for West Africa, the coins originally being made of gold from the region, mostly from the 'Gold Coast' (modern Ghana) and used for African trade, and the guinea fowl being found there. Its use as an ethnic slur against Italians may be due to their darker complexion compared to people of Anglo-American descent.
Notes
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