In this bonus episode we look at the etymology of certain words related to animals. We also examine words related to stuffing.
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The History of English Podcast
The Spoken History of a Global Language
In Australia, the bedding known as a duvet or comforter in other parts of the English-speaking world is commonly called a “doona” (and erroneously marketed as a “quilt”). Now, at least, I understand why they have that name (even when the stuffing is something other than down; commonly a synthetic fibre).
Thanks for the note about “doona.” I wasn’t familiar with that use of the word in Australia.
Interesting about the word “muj” (not sure if I’ve got the spelling right – probably not) which derives from the same root word as the Spanish “mosquito”. In many parts of Britain a small biting fly is called a “midge”.
The Old English word was “mycg.” I don’t recall if I mentioned the modern word “midge” in the episode. (Based on your comments, I guess I didn’t.) I wasn’t familiar with “midge” before researching this episode, so it’s good to know that its still being used.
Another old world for rabbit that I really like is ‘coney’. Still used very rarely down south (Portsmouth?) in England. Appears to be related to german Kanninchen. And perhaps somehow responsible for Coney Island?
(And then there’s the word Kannickle(?) for rabbit – and having lived so long now in Germany I don’t remember if that’s german or english …).
I wasn’t familiar with the word “coney” for rabbit. The OED says it was borrowed from French in the early 1200s. The Latin root was “cuniculus,” and it also passed into other Germanic languages. The name of Coney island is indeed based on that same root word. More specifically, it was based on the Dutch version of the same word. Of course, New York was originally a Dutch territory, and the Dutch called the location “Konijn Eiland” which meant ‘rabbit island.’
The Vulgar Latin root cuniculus also gave Spanish and other Iberian Romance languages their word for “rabbit,” or in Spanish: “conejo”
I was just reading the comments above yours and, sitting as I am in Tlaxcala, Mexico, I suddenly glimmered to the connection between ‘coney’, ‘cuniculus’, and ‘conejo,’ so thank you for mentioning that!!!
From the Latin word “musca,” Spanish has also “mosca” (a fly) besides “mosquito.”
Cheers.
The word mere still survives as a slightly archaic word for a lake, and also in names like Windermere and Grasmere.
Hares and rabbits are actually distinct, though closely related, and rabbits were introduced to England by the Normans, originally as a farmed animal.
I am a New Zealander in my 80’s and have known the term ‘coney’ to refer to rabbits – although I have no idea now in what context. But in the last book of LOTR Tolkien had Sam use the term when he was cooking rabbit.
Thank you for preparing these episodes. SUCH a great podcast. I’m playing catch-up having discovered the series only a few weeks ago. It’s a joy to listen to – and proves to be one of the great bennies of being older with a flexible schedule!