kid

Where does the word "kid" come from? It comes from Old Norse kidh, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Kid’s story begins in Old Norse: kidh meant “a young goat.” A young goat, later extended informally to mean a young child. It reached English by 1200s as kid. Settled first for the young goat, later informally for a child. Today, kid means a young goat, or informally, a child.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval kidh "a young goat", a young goat, later extended informally to mean a young child.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s kid "a young goat, or informally, a child", settled first for the young goat, later informally for a child.