shochu

Where does the word "shochu" come from? It comes from Japanese shōchū, and was adopted directly into English (late 1900s-2000s).

Shochu’s story begins in Japanese: shōchū meant “a clear distilled spirit.” Named a distilled spirit made from rice, barley, or sweet potato. It reached English by late 1900s-2000s as shochu. Kyushu is the heartland of shochu, distilled from sweet potato, barley or rice. Today, shochu means a Japanese distilled spirit made from grain, sweet potato, or other starches.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · medieval shōchū "a clear distilled spirit", named a distilled spirit made from rice, barley, or sweet potato.
2. Stage 2 · English · late 1900s-2000s shochu "a Japanese distilled liquor, typically lower proof than sake", Kyushu is the heartland of shochu, distilled from sweet potato, barley or rice.