Note to the most meticulous: turkey and turkey - what's the difference

A few days ago, my husband and I had a dispute about how to correctly name the turkey's "wife". In our family, everyone says turkey, and my husband claims that this is meat, not live bird. So what's right - turkey and turkey, what's the difference between them? Is it the same concept, or different? I don’t even distinguish between these birds, where is the boy, and where the girl, and it became fundamentally important for my husband to teach us the language.

We all watch American films and involuntarily sniff air when we see a turkey baked for Thanksgiving on the screen. Whereas in our country turkey meat and pâté is more common, although it is also baked entirely. It is not surprising that some discrepancy in the naming of this bird involuntarily raises the question: so a turkey or a turkey, what is the difference between these words and is there any. Of course, for poultry breeders who are engaged in growing turkeys, it is quite another important thing to get tender dietary meat. It is valued even more than chicken, especially since the weight of the carcasses of these birds is strikingly different. And to feed the turkeys who prefer herbal feed, much easier, but they grow quickly and much larger. But now we are not talking about that, but about how to call the best mother hens in the poultry yard.

Turkey or turkey - what is the difference and how is it right

There are many versions about what concept should be used and what they mean. These versions gave rise to two theories, according to which the names are either similar or different.

Theory one: synonym words

With the analogy, everything is clear: both a turkey and a turkey mean the same thing, a female turkey. And they are used in the same context. The difference in spelling can be explained by the origin of words. Turkey - because in biology the bird belongs to the turkey family. Turkey - because the male is called a turkey.

By the way, poultry meat, regardless of its gender, is called turkey, which once again proves the theory of a synonymous series.

Second theory: different concepts

The adherents of this version insist that the words have different meanings, with several of them:

1. A live bird is called a turkey, by the way, most often this word can be heard from older people (popular name), and especially in rural areas. And turkey is a dish made from meat, mostly whole-baked poultry.
2. Wild birds are called turkeys, and turkeys are called domesticated birds.
3. Domestic breeders call their breeds "turkeys". Most likely, remembering how our ancestors used to call them. And foreign, especially American, breeds are already called "turkeys".

In fact, there is absolutely no fundamental difference. Both turkey and turkey in their meaning are concepts that are used to refer to a female. But if it is so important to you from a scientific point of view, then call birds turkeys. Remembering that they represent the turkey family.

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