Etymology Map
Back to all words

Kumiss

3 stages from Kipchak Turkic to English.

Today it means fermented mare's milk, the traditional drink of Central Asian nomads

Where does the word "kumiss" come from? It comes from Kipchak Turkic qımız, passing through Russian before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
qımız
Kipchak Turkic · medieval
"fermented mare's milk"
the staple drink of steppe nomads; the friar William of Rubruck described it at the Mongol court in 1254
2
Stage 2 of 3
kumys
Russian · 1600s-1800s
"fermented mare's milk"
Russian doctors prescribed 'kumys cures' on the steppe for tuberculosis; Leo Tolstoy took one in the Samara steppe in 1862
3
Stage 3 of 3
kumiss
English · 1600s
"fermented mare's milk"
English followed the Russian form, since most Western travellers met the drink in Russian-ruled lands
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Kumiss’s story begins in Kipchak Turkic: qımız meant “fermented mare's milk.” The staple drink of steppe nomads; the friar William of Rubruck described it at the Mongol court in 1254. By 1600s-1800s, the word had taken hold in Russian as kumys. Russian doctors prescribed 'kumys cures' on the steppe for tuberculosis; Leo Tolstoy took one in the Samara steppe in 1862. It reached English by 1600s as kumiss. English followed the Russian form, since most Western travellers met the drink in Russian-ruled lands. Today, kumiss means fermented mare's milk, the traditional drink of Central Asian nomads.