Difference Between Rabbit And Bunny

Rabbit are small mammals in the family leporidae along with hare and pika. Rabbits are ground dwellers that live in environments ranging from desert to tropical forest and wetlands.

A bunny and a rabbit really are just two names for the same animal. ‘Rabbit’ is the recognized name for over 20 related species in the same Genus. ‘Bunny’ is simply a colloquial term used for the same species, especially when talking about a small or young rabbit.

In other words, both the phrases “bunny” and “rabbit” both mean relatively the same thing, and while the two can be used interchangeably, they do, indeed, have contrasting definitions. Most people use “bunny” to refer to a baby rabbit, but “bunny” can also refer to a fully grown rabbit.

Many people use both words interchangeably. The word bunny is such a part of North American culture, that is used all the time to refer to the species of rabbits. The word rabbit is generally used in UK, Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa to refer to animal species in Leporidae family.

Though technically, “bunny” isn’t the correct word or term for a rabbit or baby rabbit, it is suggested that this word should be used with young children. As for the term “rabbit,” if you are doing a formal writing and/or speaking, “rabbit” would be the correct term to use, given that it’s the proper English word.

Where did the word rabbit come from?

So, where did the word rabbit come from? It’s difficult to say for certain, but one theory suggests that it may have come from the French word “conny”, meaning “rabbit”. The Old English word “hnutu” may also be responsible for the modern-day word “rabbit”. This word was used to describe the brown European rabbit, which was brought to Britain by the Romans. Over time, the word “hnutu” gradually changed to “nabbit” and finally to “rabbit”.

Where did the word bunny come from?

So where does the word “bunny” come from? The most likely explanation is that it comes from the Dutch word “bunny” or “bunnik”, which means “little rabbit”. The word first appeared in English in the early 1700s and was used to describe the young of the European rabbit. Interestingly, the Dutch word “bunny” is actually a diminutive of “boon”, which means “bean”. It’s possible that the word was given to the young rabbit because its body was small and round like a bean.

Also Read: Difference Between Rabbit And Hare

Bunny vs Rabbit