"alcohol" in seven languages
Meaningalcohol
Spanish
alcohol
/alkoˈol/
masc.learned
French
alcool
/alkɔl/
masc.learned
Italian
alcol
/ˈalkol/
masc.learned
Also spelled alcool.
Portuguese
álcool
/ˈawkoow/
masc.learned
Romanian
alcool
/alˈkool/
neut.learned
Catalan
alcohol
/əlkuˈɔl/
masc.learned
English
alcohol
/ˈælkəhɔl/
from Latin/French · Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic
English → ItalianalcoholalcolCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
ALCOHOL (Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-kuḥl)‘fine powder, refined essence’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Arabic al-kuḥl was the fine powder used as eye make-up (kohl); alchemists stretched it to any refined essence, then to 'spirit of wine'.
English relatives: alcoholic, kohl
Learn it
In a sentence
- esNo bebe alcohol.
- frIl ne boit pas d'alcool.
- itNon beve alcol.
- ptEle não bebe álcool.
- roNu bea alcool.
- caNo beu alcohol.
- enHe doesn't drink alcohol.