Dubious Etymologies: "Dead Rabbits"...

James Harbeck jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA
Fri Jun 29 03:53:45 UTC 2007


FWIW, "conín" is the only Irish word I've ever
known for "rabbit," and the dictionaries I have
(not exhaustive) don't give another -- or another
meaning for "coinín". So, Wilson, what do your
more exhaustive, and perhaps older, references
say for the respective words? You've got me
curious now.

As to the plausibility of the supposed etymology,
it sure sounds like bullshit to me. I'm hard
pressed to think of, or find, something that
might match, though I admit I am rather less than
fluent in Irish. It really doesn't quite match
the usual Irish phonotactics without some
twisting. Anything it might match would probably
have the word division after the second syllable,
or some combination of three words perhaps. But I
really can't come close to it.

James Harbeck.

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