Aqua vitae






Aquae vitae Norvegicae lagoena et scyphus


Aqua vitae[1] est locutio alchemica quae indicat potionem adeo fortem ut "ardens" (hoc est inflammabilis) sit. Hodie hoc nomen datur potionibus variis fortiter distillatis, praesertim ethanol et spiritibus vinosis (e.g. vino adusto, vischio). Haec locutio variis linguis adoptatur, e.g. francogallica (eau de vie), germanica (Lebenswasser), scandanavicis (akvavit), celticis (uisce beatha i.q. vischium), et fortasse slavicis (cf. водка "parva aqua").



Notae |




  1. "Aqua vitae ... 1. A term of the alchemists applied to ardent spirits or unrectified alcohol; sometimes applied, in commerce, to ardent spirits of the first distillation ... 2. Hence, pop. Any form in which ardent spirits have been drunk, as brandy, whisky, etc. ..." in The Oxford English Dictionary (Oxonii: Clarendon Press, 1989. 20 voll.)








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