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Where does the word "cognac" come from? It comes from French Cognac, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
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Where does the word "cognac" come from? It comes from French Cognac, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
Cognac’s story begins in French: Cognac meant “a French town name.” A town in southwestern France famous for its distilled brandy. It reached English by 1600s as cognac. Dutch traders in the 1600s distilled the region's wine to survive shipping, creating brandy. Today, cognac means a fine brandy distilled in the Cognac region of France.
- Stage 1 · French · medieval Cognac "a French town name", a town in southwestern France famous for its distilled brandy.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s cognac "a brandy distilled in the Cognac region of France", Dutch traders in the 1600s distilled the region's wine to survive shipping, creating brandy.