Kalmar "Cavia porcellus" tana nufin sunan kimiyya na gida alade, wanda shine nau'in rodent da aka fi kiyaye shi azaman dabba. Kalmar "Cavia" ta samo asali ne daga kalmar Latin "cavies," wanda ke nufin "wani nau'i na rodent," yayin da "porcellus" yana nufin "karamin alade" a cikin harshen Latin, mai yiwuwa saboda bayyanar alade na Guinea da kuma sautinsa. yana yin, wanda yayi kama da kururuwar alade. Saboda haka, "Cavia porcellus" shine sunan taxonomic da aka ba wa wannan nau'in nau'in rodent.