Baijiu
/ˌbaɪˈdʒuː/noun
A strong Chinese distilled spirit traditionally made from fermented grains such as sorghum, rice, wheat, or millet.
Did you know?Unlike Western “wine,” baijiu is distilled; its signature flavor often comes from fermentation in brick-like qu, a starter culture containing molds, yeasts, and bacteria.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
白
“The word for “white,” reconstructed in ancient Chinese as a color term.”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
酒
“The word for an alcoholic drink or fermented beverage, ultimately associated with Chinese wine and spirits.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
白酒
“A compound meaning “white alcohol” or “white wine”; the characters were pronounced approximately bai̯k tsəu in this period.”
20th Century
Mandarin
白酒 (báijiǔ)
“The modern Chinese term for distilled grain spirits, pronounced roughly “bye-jyo.””
20th–21st Century
English
baijiu
“An English loanword referring specifically to China’s traditional distilled spirits.”
Explore more surprising origins