English word origin

Etymology of arak

From Arabic عَرَق (ʕaraq, “sweat”), a reference to the condensate in the distillation process. Doublet of ara, raki, and rakija.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A clear, unsweetened aniseed-flavoured alcoholic drink, produced and consumed primarily in the Levant. · Alternative spelling of arrack (an alcoholic drink distilled from coconut palm flowers or sugar cane)

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Arabic عَرَق (ʕaraq, “sweat”), a reference to the condensate in the distillation process. Doublet of ara, raki, and rakija.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Root classification mentionع ر قar
Borrowed-form mentionعَرَقar · sweat
Doublet mentionaraen
Doublet mentionrakien
Doublet mentionrakijaen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ع ر ق"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "id": "drink"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "عَرَق",
        "t": "sweat"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic عَرَق (ʕaraq, “sweat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ara",
        "3": "raki",
        "4": "rakija"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of ara, raki, and rakija"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "id": "drink"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "عَرَق",
      "عرق#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "ara",
      "ara#English"
    ],
    [
      "raki",
      "raki#English"
    ],
    [
      "rakija",
      "rakija#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A clear, unsweetened aniseed-flavoured alcoholic drink, produced and consumed primarily in the Levant.",
        "Alternative spelling of arrack (an alcoholic drink distilled from coconut palm flowers or sugar cane)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable",
        "usually",
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "e6ec2236889ed423314f2592d6cfbca06a28e8c4f9427ea80f5cc72d71f02a0b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1143530
    }
  ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A toothbrush tree (Salvadora persica).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Arabic أَرَاك (ʔarāk).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "ar:أَرَاك",
        "id": "tree",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Arabic\", \"term\" : \"أَرَاك\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ar\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"arak\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"tree\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"arak\" id=\"English:_tree\">\nBorrowed from Arabic أَرَاك (ʔarāk)."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
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        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Arabic أَرَاك (ʔarāk)."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "أَرَاك",
      "أراك#Arabic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A toothbrush tree (Salvadora persica)."
      ],
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        "uncountable",
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      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for arak →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YXJhaw