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prettygoodwordmetheglin (muh-THEG-lin) - n., any of several varieties of spiced or medicated mead.
Not that there was necessarily a distinction between spiced and medicated, in times past. Mead being, of course, fermented honey diluted with water. Metheglin is often named after the spices put into it, such as ginger, nutmeg, corriander, cinnamon, et cet. The term (and possibly at the same time the drink) was borrowed in the 15th century from Welsh meddyglyn, which if I didn't know the Anglicization I would not even attempt to pronounce, a compound of meddyg, medicinal (from Latin medicus, medical) + llyn, liquor.
---L.
Not that there was necessarily a distinction between spiced and medicated, in times past. Mead being, of course, fermented honey diluted with water. Metheglin is often named after the spices put into it, such as ginger, nutmeg, corriander, cinnamon, et cet. The term (and possibly at the same time the drink) was borrowed in the 15th century from Welsh meddyglyn, which if I didn't know the Anglicization I would not even attempt to pronounce, a compound of meddyg, medicinal (from Latin medicus, medical) + llyn, liquor.
---L.
