The term kudos originated in university jargon during the late 19th century, with the meaning of “glory or fame.” Initially, it was often spelled as kudo due to the misconception that the “s” made it plural, but this was corrected by the mid-1900s. The word is derived directly from the Ancient Greek kydos, which had a similar meaning but was more associated with battle rather than academic competitions. It was not commonly used in everyday Greek language, but rather in poetic works such as The Odyssey and The Iliad. Essentially, it translates to “that which is heard of” and stems from the Proto-Indo-European root keu, meaning “to perceive” (also seen in words like caution, scavange, sheen, and show). According to Google Ngram Viewer, the literary usage of kudos reached its peak in 2011.
