An alternative spelling of 'stony,' meaning resembling stone, hard and unyielding, or showing no emotion.
From Old English 'stānig,' derived from 'stān' (stone) plus the suffix '-y.' The variant spelling 'stoney' emerged as an alternative form, though 'stony' remains the standard spelling in most contexts.
While 'stony' is the preferred spelling in most dictionaries, 'stoney' appears frequently in place names and surnames, like Stoney Creek or musician Stoney LaRue. The extra 'e' doesn't change the pronunciation but gives it a more distinctive, personalized appearance.
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