sherry

Where does the word "sherry" come from? It comes from Spanish Jerez, and was adopted directly into English (1530s).

Sherry’s story begins in Spanish: Jerez meant “a Spanish town name.” A town in southern Spain famous for its fortified wine. It reached English by 1530s as sherris. Misheard as a plural form and reshaped into a new singular word. Today, sherry means a fortified wine, traditionally from the Jerez region of Spain.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · medieval Jerez "a Spanish town name", a town in southern Spain famous for its fortified wine.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1530s sherris "a fortified wine from Jerez", misheard as a plural form and reshaped into a new singular word.