Vodka
/ˈvɒd.kə/noun
A clear distilled alcoholic spirit traditionally made from grain, potatoes, or other fermentable materials.
Did you know?Its name comes from the same ancient root as “water,” reflecting the Slavic tradition of calling distilled spirits a diminutive or intensified form of water.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wódr̥
“Water; the ancient root behind words for water across Indo-European languages.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*voda
“Water.”
Medieval Slavic
Old East Slavic
вóдка
“A diminutive of voda, literally “little water”; used for distilled alcoholic liquor.”
16th–17th Century
Russian
водка
“Distilled spirit, especially grain-based liquor; the diminutive form became established as a beverage term.”
19th Century
English
vodka
“A clear distilled spirit adopted into English from Russian and other Slavic languages.”
Modern English
English
vodka
“A widely consumed distilled alcoholic spirit, commonly associated with Russia and Poland.”