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pul·que

(plkā′, -kē, pl-)

A thick fermented alcoholic beverage made in Mexico from various species of agave.

[American Spanish, from Nahuatl (octli) poliuhqui, spoiled (pulque) : poliuh-, to perish, become spoiled + -qui, agent noun suff. (the Nahuatl designation of spoiled pulque probably being misunderstood by Spanish speakers as the word for all pulque because the drink spoils quickly).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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