The Cheggis, A Forgotten Tragedy

Many people know about the increased prevalence of the given name Cheggis in today's world, but not many people know about the origin of the name. After reading this article you will wonder no more!

The lizard

The name Cheggis derives from the name of a species of lizard Varanus niger, which was previously called the cheggis but is now known as Harvey's monitor. The cheggis has characteristically large feet with shiny, uniformly black skin. Its body usually grows up to 1.2 m (4 ft) long. The diet of the cheggis mostly consists of fruit flies. This creature is native to South Africa and it is considered endangered by the IUCN, due to the degradation of its habitat and hunting of the cheggis for its unique skin which is sometimes used to make premium clothing. Despite these threats, the government of South Africa has been continuing to ignore the plight of the cheggis, with minimal legislative effort to stop the extinction of this majestic species.

The name

Discovered by British herpetologist Benjamin Harvey in 1873, Harvey named the lizard the cheggis after a word from a local Khoisan language, the exact origin being uncertain. When asked about the most interesting creature he studied, Harvey unequivocally named it as the cheggis. Harvey, being somewhat eccentric, had named all seven of his children after species of lizards, including his first son whom he had named Cheggis. Although the other names didn't stick, after Cheggis Harvey and a few of his siblings joined SPQR2, scholars of the Sacred Tongue noticed the resemblance of his name to the Mudanese word chegiz. The name thus became rare yet popular, firstly among the children of Harvey's peers and then further throughout the population.

Notable SPQR2Gang members named Cheggis

• Cheggis Chaan - Current Ilchaan of SPQR2Gang. Although the official transliteration of the Grand Ilchaan's name is chegiz, by association with the given name, Cheggis is by far the more common spelling.
• Cheggis Stewart - Prince of the sub-national Minnesotan branch of SPQR2Gang
• Cheggis Elliott - Lord of the House of Prince County community of SPQR2Gang
• Cheggis Jakobsson - President of Ancient and Mythical History of the SPQR2Gang Historiography Department

How you can help the Cheggis

The Global Aanist Animal Conservation Society is always fighting for the conservation of animals, but we cannot keep fighting without your support. A donation of just $5 from each of our daily readers is enough to bribe a politician to vote in favour of a conservation law that might save the lives of thousands of lizards. Click here to donate.