Etymograph

English

wow

Wow comes from Scots wow.

  1. Scotsc. 1450–presentwow1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1513wow1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English wow
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1513, Gavin Douglas: “Out on thir wanderand spiritis, wow! thow cryis.”.

Lineage

  1. Scotsc. 1450–presentwowWiktionary, English wow
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1513wowWiktionary, English wow. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1513, Gavin Douglas: “Out on thir wanderand spiritis, wow! thow cryis.”

The story

Attested since the 16th century; borrowed from Scots wow; ultimately a natural exclamation.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

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Today it means

intj An indication of excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “wow”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Scots wow / wow