Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c10.524

c10.524

**ARRACK, RACK**, s. This word is the Ar. *arak*, properly ‘perspiration,’ and then, first the exudation or sap drawn from the date palm (*‘arak al-tamar*); secondly any strong drink, ‘distilled spirit,’ ‘essence,’ etc. But it has spread to very remote corners of Asia. Thus it is used in the forms *ariki* and *arki* in Mongolia and Manchuria, for spirit distilled from grain. In India it is applied to a variety of common spirits; in S. India to those distilled from the fermented sap of sundry palms; in E. and N. India to the spirit distilled from cane-molasses, and also to that from rice. The Turkish form of the word, *rāki*, is applied to a spirit made from grape-skins; and in Syria and Egypt to a spirit flavoured with aniseed, made in the Lebanon. There is a popular or slang Fr. word, *riquiqui*, for brandy, which appears also to be derived from *araki* (Marcel Devic). Humboldt (*Examen*, &c., ii. 300) says that the word first appears in Pigafetta’s *Voyage of Magellan*; but this is not correct.