An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Kaninchen

by Friedrich Kluge

Kaninchen, neuter, ‘rabbit,’ diminutive of an earlier Modern High German Kanin; it is based upon Latin cuniculus, which passed into High German in various forms; Middle High German küniclîn (accented on the first syllable), evidently germanised, also künolt, künlîn, külle. The Modern High German form is based upon a Middle Latin variant, caniculus; the form with a is properly restricted to North and Middle Germany, while ü (Künchel) is current in the South. Compare Middle English coning, English coney, from French connin (Italian coniglio).