Etymo

julep

A sweet drink, often a mint cocktail today.

Played on · Day 41 · word 2 of 5

A rose before the mint

How julep reached English

oldest first
  • gul‘rose’
  • āb‘water’

combined

  1. Persian

    gulāb

    ‘rose water’

    into Arabic

  2. Arabic

    julāb

    into Medieval Latin

  3. Medieval Latin

    julapium

    into Middle French

  4. Middle French

    julep

    into Middle English

  5. Middle English

    julep

    ‘syrupy drink in which medicine is given’

    became English

  6. English

    julep

The story of julep

The drink name reaches Persian rose water through Arabic. Middle French and Middle English lie between that and today’s spelling.

Middle French and Middle English connect the Arabic form to the modern spelling; those steps are compressed here.

Sources

Related

The Persian compound joins the words for rose and water.

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