Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1300s
Elixir
from al-iksīr
- Meaning
- A cure-all potion; a philosopher's stone preparation.
- Source word
- al-iksīr
- Route into English
- Greek *xērion* (dry powder) → Arabic *al-iksīr* → Medieval Latin → Old French → English. The alchemical sense is the original one; the marketing sense (magic elixir of youth) is 19th-century advertising.
- Arrived
- 1300s
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.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.