Br'er Rabbit
/ˌbrɛər ˈræbɪt/noun
A clever trickster rabbit and central character in African American animal folklore, popularized by Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories.
Did you know?Joel Chandler Harris popularized Br’er Rabbit in the 1880s, but the character reflects African American oral traditions in which a physically weak trickster defeats stronger enemies through wit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰréh₂tēr
“Brother; a male sibling or member of one’s kin group.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brōþēr
“Brother; the Germanic ancestor of English brother.”
Old English
Old English
brōþor
“Brother, kinsman, or fellow member of a group.”
Middle English
English
brother
“Brother; also a form of address for a fellow person or religious associate.”
19th Century
Southern American English
Br'er
“A dialectal contraction of brother, used as a respectful or familiar title in African American storytelling.”
1881–1883
American English
Br'er Rabbit
“The trickster rabbit featured in Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus publications, based on orally transmitted tales.”
Explore more surprising origins