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Cootie

2 stages from Malay to English.

Today it means a body louse; (playground slang) an imaginary contagion

Where does the word "cootie" come from? It comes from Malay kutu, adopted directly into English (1917).

1
Stage 1 of 2
kutu
Malay · medieval
"louse"
a very old word: linguists reconstruct *kutu 'louse' for Proto-Austronesian, and it survives from Taiwan to Hawaii
2
Stage 2 of 2
cootie
English · 1917
"body louse"
trench slang of World War I for body lice, probably from Malay kutu or a related Philippine word picked up by soldiers, though the OED doubts the link; the 'Cootie' board game (1949) and playground 'cooties' followed
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Cootie’s story begins in Malay: kutu meant “louse.” A very old word: linguists reconstruct *kutu 'louse' for Proto-Austronesian, and it survives from Taiwan to Hawaii. It reached English by 1917 as cootie. Trench slang of World War I for body lice, probably from Malay kutu or a related Philippine word picked up by soldiers, though the OED doubts the link; the 'Cootie' board game (1949) and playground 'cooties' followed. Today, cootie means a body louse; (playground slang) an imaginary contagion.