Umeshu
/u.me.ɕɯ/noun
A Japanese liqueur made by steeping ume fruit in alcohol and sugar.
Did you know?Ume is often called a plum in English, but it is botanically closer to an apricot; the name ume ultimately reflects the Chinese word for this fruit, 梅.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
梅 (*mˤə)
“The mume fruit, commonly translated as plum”
Old Japanese
Japanese
ume
“The ume or Japanese plum/apricot fruit”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
酒 (*tsuʔ)
“Alcoholic drink or wine”
Early Japanese
Japanese
shu
“The Sino-Japanese reading of 酒, meaning alcoholic drink”
Edo Period
Japanese
梅酒 (umeshu)
“A drink made from ume fruit and alcohol; the compound appears in historical Japanese usage”
Modern English
English
umeshu
“A Japanese plum liqueur, used as a loanword in English”