Boneen - "That'll Do, Pig. That'll Do."

Shy little piggy
(photo by James)

BONEEN

Noun. Anglo-Irish. Plural boneens, same. Mid-19th century.

[Irish bainbhin, from banbh sucking-pig + -in diminutive suffix.]

A young pig.

I can't claim to one for pets; as a general rule, I prefer that humans and animals share different dwelling spaces. However, if ever there was one animal that might just have a chance of swaying me, it would be the humble pig. Yes, as I sit in my office, tapping away at my keyboard, the one animal I could really see snuffling away at my feet is my very own pet pig; they're just that damn cute.

Where this love affair with pigs started is impossible to pinpoint, although my Mum did frequently call me and my brothers pigs (something to do with the state of our bedrooms). Piglet was always my favourite character in Winnie the Pooh, and to this day I can't watch Babe without getting a little tearful at the end: "That'll do, pig. That'll do."

Should I ever somehow acquire the land and space to actually have a pet pig, a contender for its name would have to be Boneen, or a derivative thereof, such as Bonnie, Bon or Ben. There's also bonham, another Anglo-Irish word for 'sucking-pig', but for me boneen stands alone in being pretty enough, charming enough, and downright cute enough to be bestowed upon my pet pig.

Do you have a pet pig? Would you?

Do please leave your porkiest comment here.