Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bunny” come from?

Bunny derives from English bun, which comes from Latin bonus meaning "good," combined with the diminutive suffix -ia through Latin -ivus and -ia, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European -kos and bʰer-.

bunny (English): A rabbit, especially a juvenile; A bunny girl: a...

Definitions

  1. A rabbit, especially a juvenile; A bunny girl: a...

Ancestry of “bunny”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbunA small bread roll, often sweetened or spiced; A...
2Middle Englishbunnewheat cake, bun
3Anglo-Normanbugnebump on the head; fritter
4Old Frenchbugne—
5Frankishbungjolittle clump; a swelling, lump, bump; lump, bump,...
6Proto-West Germanicbungulump, clump
7Proto-Germanicbungô—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰenǵʰ-thick
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰen-to beat, hit, injure; to hit, strike, injure; to...

Words derived from “bunny”

  • bunion
  • bunionectomy
  • bunioned
  • honeybunny
  • bunnyhopping
  • bunnyball
  • bunny suit
  • fuckbunny
  • Easter Bunny
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰen- →