alcoólico (Portuguese)

Where does "alcoólico" come from?

The Portuguese adjective 'alcóolico' is formed from the combination of the base word 'álcool' with the suffix '-ico'[1]. The underlying root 'álcool' ultimately traces back through Spanish or Medieval Latin from the Arabic term 'al-kuḥl', meaning 'kohl'[2]. This Arabic term itself derives from Aramaic, which borrowed it from the Akkadian word 'guḥlum', originally referring to antimony or stibium[3].

Open questions

• The Akkadian word guhlum has an unknown origin and is only considered probably a Semitic loanword. [4]

Full etymology tree

• alcoólico (Portuguese), 'alcoholic'
  • derived álcool (Portuguese), 'alcohol (ethanol)'
    • borrowed اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl) (Arabic)
      • derived كحل (kuḥl) (Arabic), 'antimony'
        • borrowed כוחלא / ܟܘܚܠܐ (kuḥlā) (Aramaic)
          • borrowed 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum) (Akkadian), 'Sumerogram of guḫlum (kohl)'
  • suffix -ico (Portuguese), '-ic; -ical of or relating to'

Ancestors

• álcool (Portuguese)
• -ico (Portuguese)

Sources

1. alcoólico (Portuguese) - Wiktionary
2. álcool (Portuguese) - Wiktionary
3. كحل (kuḥl) (Arabic) - Wiktionary
4. guḫlum (Akkadian) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris