Where does “알약” come from?

알약 (Korean) comes from Korean 알, from Middle Korean 앓.

알약 (Korean): pill, tablet small, usually medicinal object for swallowing

Definitions

  1. pill, tablet small, usually medicinal object for swallowing

Ancestry of “알약”, step by step

알약 traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Koreanegg, roe; grain; ball
2Middle Korean

via Korean 약(藥)

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean약(藥)
Every word from Middle Korean
알약 — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer