*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of usque

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥der. Proto-Celtic *udenskyos Old Irish uisce Irish uisce Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-Europ

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

whisky

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥der. Proto-Celtic *udenskyos Old Irish uisce Irish uisce Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós Proto-Celtic *biwos Proto-Celtic *-tūts Proto-Celtic *biwotūts Old Irish bethu Irish beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Irish uisce beathabor. ▲ Old Irish uisce Scottish Gaelic uisge ▲ Old Irish bethu Scottish Gaelic beatha Medieval Latin aqua vītaecalq. Scottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor. English usquebaugh English usque Abbreviation of usquebaugh, from Irish uisce beatha (“water of life”) and Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha (“water of life”). Compare whisky and obsolete whiskybae.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "usquebaugh<id:whiskey>",
        "id": "whiskey",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *wed-\nProto-Indo-European *-r̥\nProto-Indo-European *wódr̥der.\nProto-Celtic *udenskyos\nOld Irish uisce\nIrish uisce\nProto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃-\nProto-Indo-European *-wós\nProto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós\nProto-Celtic *biwos\nProto-Celtic *-tūts\nProto-Celtic *biwotūts\nOld Irish bethu\nIrish beatha\nMedieval Latin aqua vītaecalq.\nIrish uisce beathabor.\n▲\nOld Irish uisce\nScottish Gaelic uisge\n▲\nOld Irish bethu\nScottish Gaelic beatha\nMedieval Latin aqua vītaecalq.\nScottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor.\nEnglish usquebaugh\nEnglish usque\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"whiskey\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wed-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"mass nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-r̥\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*wódr̥\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Celtic\", \"term\" : \"*udenskyos\", \"lang\" : \"cel-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old Irish\", \"term\" : \"uisce\", \"lang\" : \"sga\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Irish\", \"term\" : \"uisce\", \"lang\" : \"ga\" }, { \"id\" : \"life\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"life\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"life\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"alive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"alive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"live\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*gʷeyh₃-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"adjectival suffix\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-wós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*gʷih₃wós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Celtic\", \"term\" : \"*biwos\", \"lang\" : \"cel-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Celtic\", \"term\" : \"*-tūts\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"cel-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Celtic\", \"term\" : \"*biwotūts\", \"lang\" : \"cel-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old Irish\", \"term\" : \"bethu\", \"lang\" : \"sga\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Irish\", \"term\" : \"beatha\", \"lang\" : \"ga\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"calq.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Calque of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water of life\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Medieval Latin\", \"term\" : \"aqua vītae\", \"lang\" : \"la-med\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"calque\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Irish\", \"term\" : \"uisce beatha\", \"lang\" : \"ga\" }, { \"id\" : \"whiskey\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"water\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"sga\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"cel-pro:*udenskyos<id:water>\", \"id\" : \"water\", \"tree\" : \"1\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old Irish\", \"term\" : \"uisce\", \"lang\" : \"sga\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Scottish Gaelic\", \"term\" : \"uisge\", \"lang\" : \"gd\" }, { \"id\" : \"life\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"life\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"sga\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"cel-pro:*biwotūts<id:life>\", \"id\" : \"life\", \"tree\" : \"1\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old Irish\", \"term\" : \"bethu\", \"lang\" : \"sga\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Scottish Gaelic\", \"term\" : \"beatha\", \"lang\" : \"gd\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"calq.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Calque of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"water of life\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Medieval Latin\", \"term\" : \"aqua vītae\", \"lang\" : \"la-med\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"calque\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Scottish Gaelic\", \"term\" : \"uisge-beatha\", \"lang\" : \"gd\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"usquebaugh\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"usque\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"whiskey\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"usque\" id=\"English:_whiskey\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ga",
        "3": "uisce beatha",
        "t": "water of life"
      },
      "expansion": "Irish uisce beatha (“water of life”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gd",
        "3": "uisge beatha",
        "t": "water of life"
      },
      "expansion": "Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha (“water of life”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "usquebaugh<id:whiskey>",
        "id": "whiskey",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *wed-\nProto-Indo-European *-r̥\nProto-Indo-European *wódr̥der.\nProto-Celtic *udenskyos\nOld Irish uisce\nIrish uisce\nProto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃-\nProto-Indo-European *-wós\nProto-Indo-European *gʷih₃wós\nProto-Celtic *biwos\nProto-Celtic *-tūts\nProto-Celtic *biwotūts\nOld Irish bethu\nIrish beatha\nMedieval Latin aqua vītaecalq.\nIrish uisce beathabor.\n▲\nOld Irish uisce\nScottish Gaelic uisge\n▲\nOld Irish bethu\nScottish Gaelic beatha\nMedieval Latin aqua vītaecalq.\nScottish Gaelic uisge-beathabor.\nEnglish usquebaugh\nEnglish usque"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*wed-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wed-#Proto-Indo-European:_water"
    ],
    [
      "*-r̥",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-r̥#Proto-Indo-European:_mass_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*wódr̥",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/wódr̥#Proto-Indo-European:_water"
    ],
    [
      "*udenskyos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/udenskyos#Proto-Celtic:_water"
    ],
    [
      "uisce",
      "uisce#Old_Irish:_water"
    ],
    [
      "uisce",
      "uisce#Irish:_water"
    ],
    [
      "*gʷeyh₃-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷeyh₃-#Proto-Indo-European:_live"
    ],
    [
      "*-wós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-wós#Proto-Indo-European:_adjectival_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "*gʷih₃wós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷih₃wós#Proto-Indo-European:_alive"
    ],
    [
      "*biwos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/biwos#Proto-Celtic:_alive"
    ],
    [
      "*-tūts",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/-tūts"
    ],
    [
      "*biwotūts",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/biwotūts#Proto-Celtic:_life"
    ],
    [
      "bethu",
      "bethu#Old_Irish:_life"
    ],
    [
      "beatha",
      "beatha#Irish:_life"
    ],
    [
      "aqua vītae",
      "aqua vitae#Latin:_water_of_life"
    ],
    [
      "uisce beatha",
      "uisce beatha#Irish:_whiskey"
    ],
    [
      "uisce",
      "uisce#Old_Irish:_water"
    ],
    [
      "uisge",
      "uisge#Scottish_Gaelic:_water"
    ],
    [
      "bethu",
      "bethu#Old_Irish:_life"
    ],
    [
      "beatha",
      "beatha#Scottish_Gaelic:_life"
    ],
    [
      "aqua vītae",
      "aqua vitae#Latin:_water_of_life"
    ],
    [
      "uisge-beatha",
      "uisge-beatha#Scottish_Gaelic:_whiskey"
    ],
    [
      "usquebaugh",
      "usquebaugh#English:_whiskey"
    ],
    [
      "usquebaugh",
      "usquebaugh#English"
    ],
    [
      "uisce beatha",
      "uisce beatha#Irish"
    ],
    [
      "uisge beatha",
      "uisge beatha#Scottish_Gaelic"
    ],
    [
      "whisky",
      "whisky#English"
    ],
    [
      "whiskybae",
      "whiskybae#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "whisky"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "obsolete",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "5db4fad4be40ddd435562b01d35f1d62ea612deeba8123e09bcc7736127f7ed0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "90734f296da21e00c03919aae54169bcfaab09b2efbb8597f6db86c9d485a941",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 400909
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
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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 usque →

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-dXNxdWU