Natalie Haynes

Natalie Haynes Instagram – Yesterday, I caught sight of a letter from the younger Pliny to his friend Cornutus, in which he mostly complains of eye trouble, and the treatment he is trying to improve it (darkened room, Cornutus’ suggestion).
It then concludes, ‘I was delighted to receive the chicken you sent. My eyes are sharp enough, even though they’re still swollen, to see that it’s a very fat one.’
This raises all kinds of intriguing thoughts – did the chicken come with Cornutus’ last letter of eye treatment advice? Did the chicken BRING the letter, like a helpful pigeon? But most especially, it raises the Latin word pinguissimam – meaning very fat.
There is apparently no certain etymology for the word ‘penguin’, (it may even come from the Welsh apparently). But one derivation is from this Latin word, meaning fat or oily. And thus raises the prospect of Pliny receiving a penguin-like chicken in the mail. | Posted on 21/Jun/2024 15:01:40