whisky

Where does the word "whisky" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin aqua vitae, passing through Scottish Gaelic before entering English (1715).

Whisky’s story begins in Medieval Latin: aqua vitae meant “distilled spirit.” 'water of life', the alchemists' name for distilled alcohol; the medical school of Salerno produced some of the earliest clear European descriptions of distilling wine. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Scottish Gaelic as uisge beatha. A word-for-word Gaelic translation of aqua vitae (Irish uisce beatha); the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1494 record malt sent to Friar John Cor 'wherewith to make aqua vitae'. It reached English by 1715 as whisky. Borrowed as usquebaugh in the 1580s and cut down to whisky by 1715; Scotch is spelled whisky, while Irish and most American makers write whiskey. Today, whisky means a spirit distilled from fermented grain mash, especially from Scotland.

1. Stage 1 · Medieval Latin · 1100s aqua vitae "distilled spirit", 'water of life', the alchemists' name for distilled alcohol; the medical school of Salerno produced some of the earliest clear European descriptions of distilling wine.
2. Stage 2 · Scottish Gaelic · 1400s uisge beatha "water of life, spirit", a word-for-word Gaelic translation of aqua vitae (Irish uisce beatha); the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1494 record malt sent to Friar John Cor 'wherewith to make aqua vitae'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1715 whisky "spirit distilled from grain", borrowed as usquebaugh in the 1580s and cut down to whisky by 1715; Scotch is spelled whisky, while Irish and most American makers write whiskey.