etymology - What is the origin of 'Gosh'?


'Gosh' is a common substitute for the word 'God' in phrases such as 'Oh My Gosh' or 'By Gosh' or just 'Gosh'. Is this just a corruption of the word 'God' or does it have some other provenance? How long has it been in use?


[25nov2017] The usual secondary sources, OED and Etymology Online, don't seem to adequately answer the questions. For example, is 1757 the earliest date of use? What evidence suggests 'gosh' is a mispronunciation of 'god'?




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