It’s still debated if that is the correct etymology. A different hypothesis has ... | Hacker News

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		gg80 on June 17, 2021 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Bear plus snowflake equals polar bear It’s still debated if that is the correct etymology. A different hypothesis has “penguin” deriving from the Latin “pinguis” (fat).

smcl on June 17, 2021 [–]

Certainly in Czech the two are related:

tučňák = noun, penguin

tučný = adjective, fat

I don't know if that helps determine the origin of the English word, but it's definitely funny to think that there’s a nation which calls penguins “fatties” :D

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