The word pig comes from Old English, a germanic language spoken in England during the early middle ages. After William the Conqueror successfully invaded Englan

The word pig comes from Old English, a germanic language spoken in England during the early middle ages. After William the Conqueror successfully invaded England in 1066 the language of upper classes of England became Anglo-Norman, an old form of French. Because the English upper classes were speaking Norman many of the culinary terms such as pork, beef, and poultry in modern English come from the Norman language. But because animals would have been raised by common people they retained the Old English derived names such as pig, cow, chicken.