Why are banks shaped like pigs and why are they called piggy banks?

24and48fan

Interesting question... In Middle English, the word " pygg" referred to a sort of clay that was used to make various household objects, such as jars. The idea caught on very quickly by children of that age and when on for a certain period of time. And the term "piggy" was also adopted by kids. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggy_Bank#Etymology May 01 07, 4:46 PM

Rizeeve

This is quoted directly from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggy_Bank "In Middle English, "pygg" referred to a type of clay used for making various household objects such as jars. People often saved money in kitchen pots and jars made of pygg, called "pygg jars". By the 18th Century, the spelling of "pygg" had changed and the term "pygg jar" had evolved to "pig bank." This name may have caught on because the pig banks were mostly used by children, and the pig is a child-friendly shape that is easy to fashion out of clay. Once the meaning had transferred from the substance to the shape, piggy banks began to be made from other substances, including glass, plaster, and plastic. Another reason for the name piggy bank that has been put forward is based upon the idea that the coins given to the piggy bank represent the food fed to a pig by the farmer. It costs the farmer money to feed the pig which he does not get back until the pig is slaughtered for the meat (represented by breaking the piggy bank) which the farmer can then sell." May 01 07, 4:46 PM

lanfranco

Possibly from "pygg," a type of clay used to make jars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggy_Bank May 01 07, 4:47 PM

satguru

Just shows how words can change, I always thought it was because pigs ate anything so used pigs to eat your money. Now I know I was wrong for the last 40 odd years... May 01 07, 5:46 PM