Piggu : The Name

Piggu is a species of pig, long thought to be extinct. But 2 years ago, I have stumbled upon the last and sole surviving member of this big butted species in Terengganu which had migrated there from the Klang Valley. It is a young adult female, believed to be about 22 years in age , approximately 163cm in total length and weighing at 55kg. I have spent the past 2 years observing and studying this rare species of pig making one last and final report before the species completely dies out.

As an introduction, in this post, I would first discuss the name of 'Piggu'. Most people, and very cheekily so, believed that the name 'Piggu' is merely a direct translation from the Mandarin words '屁股'(pronounced: pi gu) which meant buttocks referring to the 'Piggu's prominent rear. This may seem rather logical, but later research found that this is merely a joke spawned after the name 'Piggu' was already in common use.

Another popular believe of the origin of the name 'Piggu' is derived from the upper class of people, the rich and wealthy who often reared the 'Piggu' as pets as they were very much fun to play with as it was rather silly and clumsy but yet still always over confident. Constantly answering to taunts by the other pets such as the monkey, but always running away with its tail between its legs seeking for solace from it's owner as it looses its fight. It was believed that the daughters of such wealthy families often played with these pets, and often talked to the 'Piggu' to show affection. Always calling it 'pig, you! pig, you!' and thus the name 'Piggu'. This of course is rather absurd, but is widely accepted by the general female population.

After much research has been done, some light has been shed as to the origin of the name 'Piggu' and how the name was truly derived. This was made possible by the recovery of a logbook which was in an airtight container when it was found from the wreck of the British Warship St. Malou deep in the waters of the Straits of Malacca. The logbook was believed to be the logbook of the Captain of the Ship who's name could still not yet be identified. It was noted that when St. Malou had first arrived at Malaysia in the year 1787, a year after the first British Colony in Penang was established, the captain and his mates stumbled upon a whole family of this big butted pig while hunting for food. At that time, they knew it was a pig, but they couldn't help but notice it's extreme behinds. So, they asked the local guide/interpreter, who so happened was a Mandarin speaking Chinese (which was rather rare cause most Chinese of that region, which is now Klang Valley, spoke Cantonese) what was the name of that pig. The guide answered that it was also the first time that he came upon such a pig. After hearing that, and wanting to name the pig, they decided to name it after the name of the place. So they asked the guide for the name of the place which they were hunting at. At that time, the place had no actual name to speak of. So instead of giving a name, the guide simply answered that the place was a '谷'(pronounced: gu) simply meaning Valley. Unsatisfied with the answer given, they then just simply settled to call the pig 'Pig of Gu' Or 'Pig from Gu' before they could think up of a better name. After that, it is not clear whether or not a new name was given to the pig as the log ends here. But it is known that slowly through time and many mispronunciation of the name. The 'Pig of Gu' slowly lost the word 'of' and transformed into 'Pig Gu' and now 'Piggu'. Thus concluding that the actual meaning of the name 'Piggu' is, pig of the valley. So far, there hasn't been any findings to contradict this theory. So it has been accepted by us researchers as being true.

That is all for today, next up we will be talking bout the behaviour patterns of the 'Piggu'.