the linguistic origins of 'dude'

The origins of the word "dude" are a bit fuzzy - but definitely older than you might think! Dude.

Hosted by Dr. Erica Brozovsky, Otherwords is a PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be human.

Otherwords is a production of Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

[times]

From an insult, to a formality, to a general term, into informal speech

Such evolution!!

[hello]

“Dude ranch” sounds like a frat nickname

[עומרשרייבר-לר]

Dude, I did not know that dude has such history. Now I wonder about bruh.

[stanmustard]

When I was a kid, back in the early 60's, we played cowboys and Indians. It was common knowledge among us that any man that came from the city, and didn't carry a sidearm was a "dude". And he usually wore a bowler, instead of a Stetson. Loved hearing the full story. Doodle...who knew?

[brookelord]

"Hey Dude!" Was a show on Nickelodeon in the 90s. It was about city kids working on a Dude Ranch.

[throckmortensnivel]

Mark Twain used the term dude, and even dudess, in his novel "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" published in 1889.

[morgellon]

There's a wooden grave marker from the late 19th century at a cemetery in White Oaks, New Mexico that just says Dude.

[flrnGM]

El Duderino and his Dudeness are basically etymological originalism

[identiticrisis]

So the "alternative" _dood_ spelling is really more authentic, nice

[Jan_Gavrill]

The "Dude, where's my car?" Reference was gold

[TheMichaelStott]

"Nobody calls me Mad Dog! Especially not some Duded up, egg suckin' gutter trash!"- Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen speaking to Marty "Clint Eastwood" McFly 1885

[iazonv-alt]

Sam Elliott's character in the Big Lebowski says no one from where he is from would refer to themselves as a dude. He is literally pointing to the older pejorative meaning of the word.

[dowunda]

I love your last sentence: "The Dude still abides".
Yes indeedy dude.

[Muchsperner]

“Guy” also has a pretty cool etymology

[Julia_USMidwest]

I read a novel from the early 1900's in which a teenage boy who had moved from East Coast to a western ranch was offended almost to tears when called a "dude" by the local teens. The context then was not complementary or neutral.

[michaeltull]

My grandmother was nicknamed dude by her younger siblings because she was the authority figure. She went by dude from 1925 till 1985

[Alkiswan]

I've been teaching English as a second language for more than twenty years now and I always emphasize to whoever I am teaching that language is a living organism that is constantly evolving. So you can start learning a language but you can never really fathom its beautiful complexity. This video captured my attention not by the claim of tracking down the origin of "dude", but rather by the use of the term "vintage slang". Even the fact that such a term exists had me amazed by the journey of language itself over the course of time!

[ani.lightheart]

thank you for noting the impact that early Black American language has made on our current culture! seriously! 🙏🏽

[widhskxnkanpl]

That was one of the smoothest loops on a short I've seen! And it doesn't use that annoying "so now you know that..." line! Impressive!

[equesdeventusoccasus]

The Dude still abides, I love nod to the Big Lebowski