kudos

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkjuːdɒs/ (UK); /ˈkuˌdoʊz/, /ˈkuˌdoʊs/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos, “glory, fame”),^[2][3][4][5] a poetic word found mainly in Homer.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Glory, fame, renown (1831; implied by 1799 in Southey's kudos'd “praised”).^[6][4][5][3]

Semantic evolution

It was probably university slang at first,^[5] and remained largely academic until journalists, especially headline writers, took it up in the 1920s.^[7] In Greek and early English the word was singular, but its final -s led many to treat it as a plural, and a back-formed singular kudo appears by 1936–1941.^[4][5][6] The meaning has shifted from fame to praise for an achievement.^[3][1]

Timeline

• 1799 – kudos'd, praised.^[4][6]
• 1831 – glory, renown.^[6][4][3]
• 1920s – widely used in journalism.^[7]
• 1936–1941 – back-formed singular kudo.^[5][6][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Praise or acclaim for an achievement.
2. Fame or prestige resulting from an achievement.

Usage notes

The American Heritage Dictionary treats kudos as singular (kudos is due), and regards the singular kudo as not yet established.^[2] Random House notes that the plural use is common, especially in American English, though many authorities consider it wrong.^[7][1]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House