Etymology Map
Back to all words

Poteen

2 stages from Irish to English.

Today it means strong Irish spirit, traditionally distilled illegally from potatoes or grain

Where does the word "poteen" come from? It comes from Irish poitín, adopted directly into English (1810s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
poitín
Irish · 1600s
"illicit spirit"
'little pot', for the small pot still; Irish law banned it in 1661, and legal production only returned in 1997
2
Stage 2 of 2
poteen
English · 1810s
"Irish moonshine"
the illicit Irish spirit; Bob Quinn's film Poitín (1978) was the first feature film made entirely in Irish
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Poteen’s story begins in Irish: poitín meant “illicit spirit.” 'little pot', for the small pot still; Irish law banned it in 1661, and legal production only returned in 1997. It reached English by 1810s as poteen. The illicit Irish spirit; Bob Quinn's film Poitín (1978) was the first feature film made entirely in Irish. Today, poteen means strong Irish spirit, traditionally distilled illegally from potatoes or grain.