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elixir

A Greek drying powder for wounds, xērion, passed through Syriac into Arabic as al-iksīr, where it became the alchemists' philosopher's stone, the substance that turns base metal into gold and cures all ills. Latin elixir then promised to cure everything across Europe, while Persian, Urdu and Turkish iksīr kept the alchemist's meaning.

Weakest linkProbable

The road to English

From Arabic to Ottoman Turkish, Turkish

From Arabic to Persian

From Medieval Latin to Middle French

From Medieval Latin to Italian

From Medieval Latin to Spanish

From Medieval Latin to Portuguese

From Medieval Latin to German

From German to Russian

From Persian to Urdu

100 CEKoine Greek

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

elixir

Weakest linkProbable

The road to English

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