Rakija
/ˈrɑːk.i.jə/noun
A strong fruit brandy traditionally distilled and consumed throughout the Balkans and parts of southeastern Europe.
Did you know?Its ancestor, Arabic ʿaraq, came to mean distilled liquor because the spirit was imagined as “sweating” out of the fermented material during distillation.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ʿaraq (عرق)
“Sweat; later, distilled liquor, likely through the image of liquid perspiring from distillation.”
Medieval Period
Arabic
ʿaraqī
“Of or relating to distilled liquor; the source of later regional spirit names.”
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
rakı
“A distilled alcoholic drink, especially the anise-flavored spirit now associated with Turkey.”
Medieval–Early Modern Period
South Slavic
rakija
“Distilled fruit brandy, particularly plum, grape, or other regional spirits.”
20th Century
English
rakija
“A Balkan fruit brandy adopted as a regional culinary and cultural term.”