kudos (English)

Where does "kudos" come from?

The English word 'kudos' is a direct borrowing from the Ancient Greek term 'kûdos', which signifies 'praise' or 'renown'[1]. While its ultimate origins are a subject of ongoing linguistic investigation, scholars have debated its connection to broader language families[2].

Open questions

• The derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root *kewh1- is widely assumed but not universally accepted by experts in the field. [2]
• Beekes proposes an alternative reconstruction for the root as *kewd-s- which links the term to a concept of miraculous power. [2]

Full etymology tree

• kudos (English), 'An interjection indicating praise or approval or as an acknowledgement of a laudable achievement.'
  • borrowed κῦδος (kûdos) (Ancient Greek), 'renown, glory'
    • inherited *(s)kewh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to perceive'
    • inherited *kewd-s- (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

• κῦδος (Ancient Greek)

Sources

1. kudos (English) - Wiktionary
2. κῦδος (kûdos) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris