vodka

Where does the word "vodka" come from? It comes from Slavic voda, passing through Russian before entering English (1800s).

Vodka’s story begins in Slavic: voda meant “water.” The common Slavic root word for water. By 1400s-1500s, the word had taken hold in Russian as vodka. Literally "little water", a diminutive of voda. It reached English by 1800s as vodka. Russian 'little water'; Russian and Polish records of it date from the 1400s–1500s. Today, vodka means a clear distilled spirit made from grain or potatoes.

1. Stage 1 · Slavic · ancient voda "water", the common Slavic root word for water.
2. Stage 2 · Russian · 1400s-1500s vodka "distilled grain spirit", literally "little water", a diminutive of voda.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s vodka "the clear distilled spirit", Russian 'little water'; Russian and Polish records of it date from the 1400s–1500s.