Bis jemand gezielt antwortet, check LEO schon mal auf:

-> *schwein

-> Schwein*

. . .

Der Unterschied ist sehr fein:

hog (hôg, hŏg) pronunciation
n.

1.
1. Any of various mammals of the family Suidae, which includes the domesticated pig as well as wild species, such as the boar and the wart hog.
2. A domesticated pig, especially one weighing over 54 kilograms (120 pounds).
2.
1. A self-indulgent, gluttonous, or filthy person.
2. One that uses too much of something.

pig (pĭg) pronunciation
n.

1.
1. Any of several mammals of the family Suidae, having short legs, cloven hooves, bristly hair, and a cartilaginous snout used for digging, especially the domesticated hog, Sus scrofa domesticus, when young or of comparatively small size.
2. The edible parts of one of these mammals.
2. Informal. A person regarded as being piglike, greedy, or gross.
3.
1. A crude block of metal, chiefly iron or lead, poured from a smelting furnace.
2. A mold in which such metal is cast.
3. Pig iron.
4. Offensive Slang. Used as a disparaging term for a police officer.
5. Slang. A member of the social or political establishment, especially one holding sexist or racist views.


swine (swīn) pronunciation
n., pl. swine.

1. Any of various omnivorous, even-toed ungulates of the family Suidae, including pigs, hogs, and boars, having a stout body with thick skin, a short neck, and a movable snout.
2. A person regarded as brutish or contemptible.


Interessanterweise kann hog auch noch für folgendes stehen:
also hogg

1. Chiefly British. A young sheep before it has been shorn.
2. The wool from this type of sheep.

From the American Heritage Dictionary

@ Daddy
I had checked the LEO dictionary and the search all section before I posted my question. I know the drill. :-)
However, both were inconclusive, maybe it was just my lack of understanding.

@ anna
Thank you very much for all the information. Very interesting. So these words are virtually interchangeable as long as living animals are concerned?

They are relatively interchangeable with the following caveats for AE:

1. Hog implies greater size than pig
2. Swine is considered outdated, if not obsolete
3. The insults "You pig!" "You hog!" and "You swine!" all imply something different.
a. "You pig!" is usually used for extreme messiness and gluttony. ("To pig out" means to binge eat, usually on junk food.)
b. "You hog!" is usually used for taking a larger share than one is entitled to of things other than food. (Can also be used as a verb: "Don't hog the covers!")
c. "You swine!" is usually used in cases of improper social behavior, especially between the sexes and said by the woman to the man. Because it sounds somewhat outdated and stilted it can lose its force and actually become an encouragement for the addressee to "talk dirty" - but a careful reading of the situation is necessary. (The phrase is most often encountered in old movies.)

Wenn ich auf english schreiben dürfte wäre meine Antwort besser. Pig ist ist der Ausdruck für ein Schwein das noch nicht geschlechtsreif ist und unter 60kg wiegt. Pig kann auf für ein wildes oder domestiziertes Tier benuzt werden. In Amerika sagt man Pig auch zu Polizisten "umgangssprachlich".

Hog ist der Asudruck für ein domestiziertes Schwein das über 60kg wiegt. In Amerika sagt man auch Hog für ein Harley Davidson Motorrad.