usquebaugh

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʷeyh₃-“to live”
2. Scottish Gaelic · borrowed frombeatha“life”
3. Irish · borrowed frombeatha
4. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wed-“water”
5. Scottish Gaelic · borrowed fromuisge“water”
6. Irish · borrowed fromuisce
7. Scottish Gaelic · borrowed fromuisge beatha“whiskey or whisky”
8. Irish · borrowed fromuisce beatha
9. English todayusquebaugh

[Alt: A glass with a round bottom which tappers to the lip, served with usquebaugh.] Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥der. Proto-Celtic *udenskyos Old Irish uisce Irish uisce Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós Proto-Celtic *biwos Proto-Celtic *-tūts Proto-Celtic *biwotūts Old Irish bethu Irish beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Irish uisce beathabor. ▲ Old Irish uisce Scottish Gaelic uisge ▲ Old Irish bethu Scottish Gaelic beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Scottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor. English usquebaugh Borrowed from Irish uisce beatha and Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha (“whiskey or whisky”, literally “water of life”) (a calque of Medieval Latin aqua vītae (“distilled alcohol, liquor”, literally “water of life”)), from Irish uisce, Scottish Gaelic uisge (“water”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wed- (“water”)) + Irish beatha, Scottish Gaelic beatha (“life”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”)), Doublet of whiskey and whisky.

Words from the same roots