Where does “酒は百薬の長” come from?
酒は百薬の長 (Japanese) comes from Japanese 酒, from Japanese 麦酒, from Dutch bier, from Middle Dutch bier, from Old Dutch bier, from Proto-West Germanic beuʀ, from Proto-Germanic beuzą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰews- — dross, sediment; dross, sediment, brewer's yeast.
酒は百薬の長 (Japanese): good wine makes good blood; sake is the best of all medicines; drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is better than medicine
Definitions
- good wine makes good blood; sake is the best of all medicines; drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is better than medicine
Ancestry of “酒は百薬の長”, step by step
酒は百薬の長 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Japanese 酒
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japanese | 酒 | any alcoholic beverage |
| 2 | Japanese | 麦酒 | beer; any other alcoholic drink brewed mainly... |
| 3 | Dutch | bier | beer; a serving of beer; a variety of beer |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | bier | beer |
| 5 | Old Dutch | bier | beer |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | beuʀ | beer |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | beuzą | beer |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰews- | dross, sediment; dross, sediment, brewer's yeast |