wunderkind

Where does the word "wunderkind" come from? It comes from German Wunder, passing through German before entering English (1883).

Wunderkind’s story begins in German: Wunder meant “wonder, marvel.” Wonder, marvel, combined with Kind (child). Within German, it grew into Wunderkind by 1800s. Wonder child, describing a child of extraordinary talent. It reached English by 1883 as wunderkind. German 'wonder child', applied to child prodigies like Mozart. Today, wunderkind means a young person who achieves great success or shows exceptional talent early in life.

1. Stage 1 · German · medieval Wunder "wonder, marvel", wonder, marvel, combined with Kind (child).
2. Stage 2 · German · 1800s Wunderkind "a child of extraordinary talent", wonder child, describing a child of extraordinary talent.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1883 wunderkind "a young person of remarkable talent or early success", German 'wonder child', applied to child prodigies like Mozart.