Editing Vodka (section)

==Etymology==
The word ''vodka'' is a [[diminutive]] of the [[Slavic language|Slavic]] word ''voda'' 'water' (literally, 'little water'): [[root (linguistics)|root]] ''vod''- [water] + -''k''- (diminutive [[suffix]], among other functions) + -''a'' ([[Suffix|ending]] of [[feminine gender]]).<ref name="eb">{{Britannica|631781}}</ref><ref name="ety">{{cite dictionary|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=vodka |title=vodka |dictionary=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=22 November 2008}}</ref><ref>Etymology of the word "vodka" in Черных&nbsp;П.&nbsp;Я.: Историко-этимологический словарь современного русского языка. Москва, Русский язык-Медиа, 2004.</ref>

In English literature, the word ''vodka'' appeared around the late 18th century. In a book of travels published in English in 1780 (presumably, a translation from German), [[Johann Gottlieb Georgi]] correctly explained that "''kabak'' in the Russian language signifies a public house for the common people to drink ''vodka'' (a sort of brandy) in".<ref>{{Cite book |first=Johann Gottlieb |last=Georgi |title=Russia: or, a compleat historical account of all the nations which compose that Empire. |publisher=printed for J. Nichols: T. Cadell; H. Payne; and N. Conant |year=1780 |url=https://archive.org/details/russiaoracomple00georgoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/russiaoracomple00georgoog/page/n121 115] }}</ref> In 1799, [[William Tooke]] glossed ''vodka'' as "rectified corn-spirits",<ref>{{Cite book |first=William |last=Tooke |title=View of the Russian empire during the reign of Catharine the Second, and to the close of the present century, Volume 1 |publisher=T.N. Longman and O. Rees, Pater-Noster-Row, and J. Debrett|place= Piccadilly|year= 1799 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wBIbAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA362 |page=362 }}</ref> using the traditional English sense of the word ''corn'' to refer to any grain, not just [[maize]]. In 1800, the French poet [[Théophile Gautier]] glossed it as a "grain liquor" served with meals in Poland (''[[:fr:eau-de-vie|eau-de-vie]] de grain'').<ref>{{Cite book |first=Théophile |last=Gautier|publisher=G. Charpentier et cie. |year=1800 |title=Voyage en Russie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9lBEAAAAIAAJ&q=vodka |pages=354, 406 }}</ref>

Another possible connection of ''vodka'' with water is the name of the medieval alcoholic beverage ''[[aqua vitae]]'' ([[Latin language|Latin]], literally, 'water of life'), which is reflected in Polish {{Lang|pl|okowita}}, Ukrainian {{lang|uk|оковита}}, Belarusian {{lang|be|акавіта}}, and Scandinavian ''[[akvavit]]''. [[whisky|Whiskey]] has a similar etymology, from [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]] ''[[uisce beatha]] / uisge-beatha''.

People in the area of vodka's probable origin have names for vodka with roots meaning 'to burn': {{langx|pl|gorzała}}; {{langx|uk|горілка|horilka}}; {{langx|be|гарэлка|harelka}}; {{langx|lt|degtinė}}; {{langx|sgs|degtėnė}} is also in use, colloquially and in [[proverb]]s;<ref>{{cite web | access-date=11 March 2008 | archive-date=11 April 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411121714/http://www.lki.lt/php/English/publications/angliskos_santraukos_KK.doc | url=http://www.lki.lt/php/English/publications/angliskos_santraukos_KK.doc | title=The heritage of professor Juozas Balčikonis, the great educator of the native language | url-status=dead}}</ref> {{langx|lv|degvīns}}; {{langx|fi|[[paloviina]]}}. In [[Russian language|Russian]] during the 17th and 18th centuries, {{lang|ru|горящѣе вино or горячее вино}} (''goryashchee vino'' 'burning wine' or 'hot wine') was widely used. Others languages include German ''Branntwein'', [[Danish language|Danish]] ''brændevin'', {{langx|nl|brandewijn}}, {{langx|sv|[[brännvin]]}}, and {{langx|no|[[brennevin]]}} (although the latter terms refer to any strong alcoholic beverage).