kudos

Where does the word "kudos" come from? It comes from Greek kydos, and was adopted directly into English (1830s).

Kudos’s story begins in Greek: kydos meant “glory.” Glory or renown, a word of Homer's epics. It reached English by 1830s as kudos. Oxford and Cambridge students used it as slang; many later mistook it for a plural and invented 'kudo'. Today, kudos means praise and honour for an achievement.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kydos "glory", glory or renown, a word of Homer's epics.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1830s kudos "praise, prestige", Oxford and Cambridge students used it as slang; many later mistook it for a plural and invented 'kudo'.