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by seanvk
1897 days ago
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One interesting side effect of the Great Vowel Shift occurred when the word Uisce Beatha (Whisk(e)y) was anglicized twice. It was first brought in during the Elizabethan period from Ireland as "Whiskey" and later re-brought in as "Whisky" in Scotland. I've often wondered if that is the same reason behind surname anglicization of Ceallaigh to "Kelley" and later "Kelly". |
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> Uisce beatha, literally "water of life", is the name for whiskey in Irish. It is derived from the Old Irish uisce ("water") and bethu ("life").
In France, many liquors used to be simply called "eau de vie". They now tend to each have their own name (origin and/or brand), but most people would still understand that you're not looking for water if you ask for some eau de vie.