Where does “kiddo” come from?

Kiddo comes from English kid, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Old English ān through Middle English oo, though the etymological path remains unclear.

kiddo (English): A close friend; especially used as a form of...

Definitions

  1. A close friend; especially used as a form of...

Ancestry of “kiddo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishkidA young goat; Of a female goat, the state of...
2Middle Englishkidekid, young goat; kid meat, the meat of a young...
3Old Norsekiða goatling, kid
4Proto-Germanickidjąa goatling; kid
5Proto-Indo-Europeangidʰ-kid, goatling, little goat
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gidʰ-
kiddo — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer