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

  1. God!; Abbreviation of golliwog; A galosh

Ancestry of “golly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgaloshA waterproof overshoe used to provide protection...
2Middle EnglishgalocheA clog or patten
3Old Frenchgalocheshoe with a wooden sole
4Latingallicanominative feminine singular of gallicus;...
Every word from Latin gallica →Every word from Old French galoche →Every word from Middle English galoche →