coney

A "coney" isn't your everyday bunny! It’s an old word for a rabbit—especially the European rabbit—and it has an old-fashioned feel that fits well in older stories and poems. In older English, a "coney" was often an adult rabbit, while "rabbit" originally referred to the young. Rabbits are famous for living in underground burrows called warrens (and historically you may see terms like coney-garth).

You won’t hear people casually call a pet rabbit a coney today, but you will run into the word in older literature and in religious texts. In the King James Bible, "coney" is used for the rock hyrax (a small mammal that lives among rocks), which can surprise modern readers who expect a rabbit.

The word "coney" (also spelled "cony") refers primarily to the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. It is a term steeped in history that carries specific legal and culinary connotations. In Middle English, "coney" was the standard name for the animal, while "rabbit" was reserved for the juveniles. Over time, "rabbit" became the dominant name for the species, leaving "coney" to the realms of the fur trade, the kitchen, and the law books.

The use of "coney" dates back centuries, appearing in medieval manuscripts and biblical translations. Interestingly, early English translators used "coney" to describe the rock hyrax of the Middle East because they lacked a specific English name for the creature and noticed its small size and its habit of hiding among rocks. This quirk of translation has led to "coney" being associated with rocky cliffs in a biblical context, even though true rabbits prefer soft soil for digging.

Beyond the animal itself, the term survived in the fur trade to describe rabbit pelts processed to look like more expensive furs. It also lives on in geography; most notably, New York's "Coney Island" likely takes its name from the Dutch Conyne Eylandt, meaning "Rabbit Island," due to the massive population of wild rabbits once found there. While the word is now considered archaic or literary, understanding "coney" unlocks a deeper appreciation for English history—reminding us how language shifts from the fields and forests into the pages of classic literature.