I got curious about the etymology of turkey in its fowl meaning, and found that the Hebrew transliteration for fowl is tarnagol, which sounds to me suspiciously akin to tarmachan, the Gaelic word from which we get ptarmigan, according to Online Etymology. Though it sounds far-fetched, might there be a connection?

If I'm on a wild goose chase, please don't grouse about it, since I feel a bit chicken to ask any question that reveals my ignorance.

There's no connection as far as I know. tàrmachan is possibly from tàrmaich "to originate, grow, increase, gather, collect, settle" from Old Irish mogaid "to increase" from Proto-Indo-European *meǵ- "great".

The OED says the origin was from guinea fowl in Africa and then goes on to say that it is from Meleagris, a species which was found domesticated in Mexico in 1518. Etymology.com says:

quote:

imported from Madagascar via Turkey, by Near East traders known as turkey merchants. The larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo) was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523) and thence to wider Europe, by way of North Africa (then under Ottoman rule) and Turkey (Indian corn was originally turkey corn or turkey wheat in English for the same reason).

Interesting. It must have been named because of importing it through Turkey.

Right. So did they import turkey vultures too?