1
Stage 1 of 3
mexcalli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"cooked agave"
combining "metl" (agave) and "ixcalli" (cooked), describing the roasted agave
2
Stage 2 of 3
mezcal
Spanish · 1500s-1600s
"a distilled agave spirit"
adopted from Nahuatl via Spanish colonial contact in Mexico
3
Stage 3 of 3
mezcal
English · 1800s-1900s
"a distilled spirit made from roasted agave"
adopted as Mexican spirits spread internationally
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