

Kudos can simply be considered a "modern" term that has come to your company culture through cultural osmosis. In fact, there are many words in the English language where we don't know their origin, like the word "coffee". Even if its origin wasn't established, that wouldn't change how it is used today. Kudos is a fairly common word that people use in everyday conversation, academic circles, and company management. Or earning an employee of the month reward answering confusing customer support requests. Your breath, and reasoning powers, are best saved for other things. If some person is absolutely sure that the word Kudos is derived from the Japanese word kudasai, and won't listen to reason, don't keep arguing with him. Some people care about origin, some don't. If you're not the grammar police, though, it's a fun made-up word that lends itself well to English compound words like kudo-cards or kudo-box. Since Kudos is not a plural noun but is really singular, the word kudo is just made up. Unknowning English speakers, thinking the s suffix denoted a plural form, coined the singular form kudo.

Here's one more fun fact: since the Greek Kudos, is a singular noun, so is the English word Kudos. Luce, incidentally, also gave us the word tycoon Today it is used everywhere, from journalistic writing to twitter. It wasn't till much later, the 1920s and 30s, in fact, that it entered American English vocabulary and wider currency, popularized by the magazine Time and its writer Henry Luce. 30 years later, in 1831, the slang word found its way into the Oxford English Dictionary as a way to mark exceptional achievement. You could almost hear the cries of ancient Greek battles and hear the songs of their minstrels bringing an accolade. Saying 'Kudos!' was risky, on the edge, and brought you with one simple five-letter word, into the epic tradition of Ulysses and the heroes of old. When your classmate turns in a fantastic group presentation, you could just say "congratulations!" or "that was great". I can imagine it being used by University students who had studied the Odyssey and wanted to bring just a little bit of that magic glory into their everyday mundane lives. The earliest English use of Kudos was in 1799, as University slang. In modern Greek, κῦδος is still used to mean "glory." He said the following in one of his poems: "κῦδος κλέος ἄφθιτον." This means "glory is imperishable" or glory lives forever. "Īnother reference to "κῦδος" in Greek history is attributed to Pindar, which was an ancient Greek poet that wrote odes for athletes. For instance, it is referenced in the following line from The Odyssey: "May the gods give you glory. It can be found in works such as Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey. There are several references to "κῦδος" throughout Greek literature and history that refer to accomplishments. The origin of Kudos is still debated, though the word almost certainly has its origin in Ancient Greece. While employee recognition platforms used to be about monetary rewards, fancy plaques and employee-of-the-month parking perks, today human resource gurus are coming to terms with the importance of intrinsic motivation and the dopamine rush that comes with a job well done - especially if it's being noticed! Research shows that employees who are recognized for their accomplishments are more engaged, have higher job satisfaction, and contribute more to company productivity.
KUDOS TO YOU MEANING FREE
Today, Kudos is primarily used in employee appreciation initiatives and recognition platforms like the free Slack app Matter. While Kudos is currently used in many different regions, it originates from Greece and its meaning has changed over time. In a workplace, it is often used as a synonym for congratulations in response to a job well done.

It originates from the Greek word "κῦδος" meaning "glory" or "fame".įor those who are not familiar with Kudos, it is usually used to express appreciation or praise. "Kudos!" If you've ever worked in an office, then there's a chance you're familiar with this word.
