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