It originated in earlier English (I guess around the 1800s?) as meaning 'clean' or 'pure' or 'virtuous' or anything that family or kids could enjoy. (Basically stuff that isn't R18, but there is some R18 out there that people might call wholesome, too, just because it's 'softer'.)
Fandom kind of took it as the 'pure' and 'cute' definition and start......
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