1
Stage 1 of 3
'araq
Arabic · medieval
"distilled spirit"
literally "sweat," describing the condensing droplets of distillation
2
Stage 2 of 3
raki
Ottoman Turkish · medieval
"distilled spirit"
formed from 'araq plus a relational suffix, becoming the generic Ottoman word for distilled spirits
3
Stage 3 of 3
raki
English · 1610s-20s
"anise-flavored spirit"
entered English describing the anise-flavored national spirit of Turkey and the Balkans
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom