slogan

Where does the word "slogan" come from? It comes from Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm, passing through Scots before entering English (1700s).

Slogan’s story begins in Scottish Gaelic: sluagh-ghairm meant “battle cry, war cry.” Literally "army cry", used to rally Highland clans in battle. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Scots as slogorne. Adapted into Lowland Scots from Gaelic. It reached English by 1700s as slogan. Broadened from a battle cry to any distinctive catchphrase. Today, slogan means a short, memorable phrase used in advertising or to express a position.

1. Stage 1 · Scottish Gaelic · medieval sluagh-ghairm "battle cry, war cry", literally "army cry", used to rally Highland clans in battle.
2. Stage 2 · Scots · 1500s slogorne "a rallying cry", adapted into Lowland Scots from Gaelic.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s slogan "a memorable advertising or political phrase", broadened from a battle cry to any distinctive catchphrase.