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 알

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean알egg, roe; grain; ball
2Middle Korean앓—

via Korean 약(藥)

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean약(藥)—
Every word from Middle Korean 앓 →Every word from Korean 알 →