Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1540s
Alcohol
from al-kuḥl
- Meaning
- Finely ground powder (originally antimony powder, kohl).
- Source word
- al-kuḥl
- Route into English
- Alchemists borrowed the word for refined essences; the fermented-drink sense narrowed in the 18th century.
- Arrived
- 1540s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
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