1
Stage 1 of 5
śarkarā
Sanskrit · ancient
"gravel, sugar crystals"
originally meant gravel or grit before referring to sugar crystals
2
Stage 2 of 5
shakar
Persian · medieval
"sugar"
spread as sugarcane cultivation moved west
3
Stage 3 of 5
sukkar
Arabic · medieval
"sugar"
carried across the Mediterranean with Arab agriculture and trade
4
Stage 4 of 5
sucre
Old French · c. 1200s
"sugar"
entered French through Mediterranean and Crusader trade contact
5
Stage 5 of 5
sugar
English · c. 1300s
"the sweet crystalline substance"
settled into its modern English spelling and pronunciation
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom