Araks
/əˈrɑːks/noun
Plural of arak, a distilled alcoholic drink traditionally made in parts of the Middle East and South or Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The Arabic word ʿaraq originally meant “sweat,” a vivid reference to droplets of distilled spirit condensing and dripping from the still.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʿaraq (عرق)
“Sweat; later, distilled liquor, named for the droplets produced during distillation.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ʿaraq
“A distilled alcoholic spirit, especially one produced in the Middle East.”
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
arak
“A distilled alcoholic drink, borrowed from Arabic.”
17th–18th Century
European trade languages
arrack
“A name used by European merchants for various distilled spirits from Asia and the Middle East.”
18th Century
English
arak
“A regional distilled spirit, especially the anise-flavored drink associated with the Levant.”
Modern English
English
araks
“The plural form of arak.”