Pulque
/ˈpʊl.keɪ/noun
A traditional Mexican alcoholic drink made by fermenting the sap of certain agave plants.
Did you know?In Aztec religion, pulque was associated with Mayahuel, the agave goddess, and with the fertility deity group known as the Centzon Totochtin, the “Four Hundred Rabbits.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
octli
“The traditional Nahuatl word for pulque or fermented agave drink.”
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
poliuhqui
“Spoiled, decomposed, or fermented; a proposed source of the later Spanish form.”
16th Century
Spanish
pulque
“A fermented agave beverage; Spanish colonists adopted the term from Nahuatl usage.”
17th–18th Century
Spanish
pulque
“A widely consumed Mexican alcoholic drink, especially associated with central Mexico.”
19th Century
English
pulque
“An English loanword for the traditional fermented agave beverage.”
Modern English
English
pulque
“A mildly alcoholic, viscous drink produced by fermenting agave sap.”