Caudle
/ˈkɔːdəl/noun
A hot, sweetened drink made with wine or ale, eggs, and spices, formerly given to the sick or to women after childbirth.
Did you know?Caudle entered English through medieval Latin and Old French as a practical healing drink, not a magical one, but it survived in ritualized contexts like childbirth and bedside care where food and medicine blurred together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to be warm, to heat”
Late Latin
Latin
caldāre
“to make hot”
Medieval Latin
Latin
caldellum
“a warm drink or gruel”
Old French
Old French
caudel
“a spiced warm drink, especially for the sick”
Middle English
English
caudle
“a warm, medicinal drink made with wine or ale, eggs, and spices”
Modern English
English
caudle
“a hot, sweetened drink formerly used as a restorative”