Where does “golly” come from?
Golly comes from Middle English golly, likely a euphemistic alteration of God influenced by similar exclamatory formations, ultimately deriving from Proto-Germanic gōdaz and Proto-Indo-European gʰedʰ-.
golly (English): God!; Abbreviation of golliwog; A galosh
Definitions
- God!; Abbreviation of golliwog; A galosh
Ancestry of “golly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | galosh | A waterproof overshoe used to provide protection... |
| 2 | Middle English | galoche | — |
| 3 | Old French | galoche | shoe with a wooden sole |
| 4 | Latin | gallica | nominative feminine singular of gallicus;... |