vermouth (English)
Where does "vermouth" come from?
The English word 'vermouth' entered the language from French 'vermout'[1], which in turn comes from German 'Wermut' meaning 'wormwood'[1]. The German term traces back through Middle High German 'wërmuote' and Old High German 'werimuota' to Proto-West Germanic '*warjamōdā'[2]. This history ultimately connects to the native English word 'wormwood' as a doublet.
Open questions
- The Proto-West Germanic form is of unknown origin, with a possible combination of roots referring to mental curative properties or bitterness. [3]
Full etymology tree
- vermouth (English), 'A dry, or sweet apéritif wine flavored with aromatic herbs, and often used in mixed drinks.'
- borrowed vermout (French), 'alternative spelling of vermouth'
- borrowed Wermut (German), 'wormwood (herb)'
- inherited wërmuote (Middle High German)
- inherited werimuota (Old High German)
- inherited *warjamōdā (Proto-West Germanic), 'wormwood'
- inherited werimuota (Old High German)
- inherited wërmuote (Middle High German)
- borrowed Wermut (German), 'wormwood (herb)'
- borrowed vermout (French), 'alternative spelling of vermouth'
Ancestors
- vermout (French)
- Wermut (German)
Cognates and doublets
- wormwood (English)
Descendants and derived words
- French vermouth (English)
- Italian vermouth (English)
Sources
- vermouth (English) - Wiktionary
- Wermut (German) - Wiktionary
- warjamōdā (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- warjan (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- mōd (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- warjaną (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- mōdaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- meh₁- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris