E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Porcelain (3 syl.),
from porcelana, “a little pig.” So called by the Portuguese traders, from its resemblance to cowrie-shells, the shape of which is not unlike a pig’s back. The Chinese earthenware being white and glossy, like the inside of the shells, suggested the application of the name. (See Marryatt’s History of Pottery and Porcelain.)
