Where does “Easter bunny” come from?
Easter bunny (English) comes from English bunny, from English bun, from Middle English bunne, from Anglo-Norman bugne, from Old French bugne, from Frankish bungjo, from Proto-West Germanic bungu, from Proto-Germanic bungô — to beat, hit, injure; to hit, strike, injure; to...
Easter bunny (English): A symbolic rabbit sometimes depicted delivering Easter eggs to children
Definitions
- A symbolic rabbit sometimes depicted delivering Easter eggs to children
Ancestry of “Easter bunny”, step by step
Easter bunny traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bunny
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bunny | A rabbit, especially a juvenile; A bunny girl: a... |
| 2 | English | bun | A small bread roll, often sweetened or spiced; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | bunne | wheat cake, bun |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | bugne | bump on the head; fritter |
| 5 | Old French | bugne | — |
| 6 | Frankish | bungjo | little clump; a swelling, lump, bump; lump, bump,... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | bungu | lump, clump |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | bungô | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰenǵʰ- | thick |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰen- | to beat, hit, injure; to hit, strike, injure; to... |