Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vodka” come from?

Vodka comes from Russian во́дка, a diminutive of Russian вода́ meaning water.

vodka (English): A clear distilled alcoholic liquor made from...

Definitions

  1. A clear distilled alcoholic liquor made from...

Ancestry of “vodka”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Russianво́дка—
2Russianвода́water
3Old East Slavicводаwater
4Proto-Slavicvodà—
5Proto-Balto-Slavicwandōwater
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwódr̥water
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwed-water
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwey-to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...

Words derived from “vodka”

  • voddy
  • vodkalike
  • vodkaholic
  • vodkaless
  • वोदका
  • bodka
  • vodka
  • ودکا
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wey- →