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Hooch

2 stages from Tlingit to English.

Today it means informal term for alcoholic liquor, especially homemade or illegally distilled spirits

Where does the word "hooch" come from? It comes from Tlingit Hoochinoo, adopted directly into English (1890s).

Hoochinoo→hooch

Tlingit · 1800s

"name of a Tlingit clan/village"

the name of a Tlingit village and clan in Alaska known for distilling liquor

English · 1890s

"homemade or illicit alcoholic liquor"

shortened by American prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush to mean the liquor itself

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