Mizuwari
/ˌmiːzuˈwɑːri/noun
A Japanese drink made by diluting whisky or another spirit with water, usually served over ice.
Did you know?The Japanese term combines mizu, “water,” with wari, “division” or “splitting,” describing the drink’s preparation rather than naming a particular spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic
Proto-Japonic
*midu
“Reconstructed ancestor associated with water”
8th Century
Old Japanese
midu
“Water”
Late Old Japanese–Middle Japanese
Japanese
midu → mizu
“Water; the consonant pronunciation shifted toward modern mizu”
Early Modern Japanese
Japanese
waru
“To divide, split, or dilute”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
水割り (mizuwari)
““Water-divided”; a spirit diluted with water”
20th–21st Century
English
mizuwari
“A Japanese-style whisky or spirit-and-water drink”