Etymology Map
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Schnapps

3 stages from Low German to English.

Today it means a strong alcoholic spirit

Where does the word "schnapps" come from? It comes from Low German snappen, passing through German before entering English (1810s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
snappen
Low German · medieval
"to snap"
to snap or gulp
2
Stage 2 of 3
Schnaps
German · 1700s
"dram"
a dram or gulp of liquor
3
Stage 3 of 3
schnapps
English · 1810s
"spirit"
borrowed for German and Dutch spirits
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Read the full story

Schnapps’s story begins in Low German: snappen meant “to snap.” To snap or gulp. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in German as Schnaps. A dram or gulp of liquor. It reached English by 1810s as schnapps. Borrowed for German and Dutch spirits. Today, schnapps means a strong alcoholic spirit.