aguardiente

[prettygoodword]

aguardiente (ah-gwahr-dee-EN-tee, ah-gwahr-thyen-te) - n., any of several alcoholic beverages: a) a rough brandy made in Spain and Portugal from various sources; b) a distilled liquor made from sugarcane common in South America, Central America, and the southwestern U.S.; or c) pulque, a milk-colored somewhat-viscous drink made in Mexico from the fermented sap of certain agave plants.


The synonym for pulque is less common than the other two, which are common in the two disjoint ranges. We got the word around 1820 from Spanish, though the name is identical in Portuguese, and I suspect the Peninsular War was involved, aguardiente, contraction of agua, water + ardiente, fiery (from Latin ardens, present participle of ardēre, to burn). Yes, it's fire-water.

---L.

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Also an example of a portmanteau word.

[prettygoodword]

I guess? I don't usually think of this small of a contraction as portmanteauizing.