sugar etymology

Etymology:

The word "sugar" derives ultimately from the Sanskrit word "sharkara," meaning "grit" or "gravel."

Meaning:

Sugar refers to a variety of sweet, soluble carbohydrates, primarily sucrose, fructose, and glucose. It is commonly used as a sweetener in food and beverages.

Origin:

Sanskrit (Sharkara): Around the 6th century BCE, India produced sugar from sugarcane and traded it with other parts of the world. The Sanskrit word "sharkara" described the raw sugar crystals obtained from sugarcane.

Greek (Sakcharon): Greek merchants encountered Indian sugar and adopted the term "sakcharon," which also meant "grit" or "gravel."

Latin (Saccharum): The Romans adopted the word from Greek and used it as "saccharum."

Arabic (Sukkar): Arabs traded with India and adopted the term "sukkar," which became the source of the English word "sugar."

Middle English (Sugre): The word entered Middle English in the 13th century as "sugre," meaning a sweet substance obtained from the juice of sugarcane.

Modern English (Sugar): By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved to "sugar," which has remained in use ever since.

Additional Notes:

  • Other languages have adopted similar terms for sugar, such as "açúcar" (Portuguese), "azúcar" (Spanish), and "sucre" (French).
  • The chemical formula for sucrose, the most common type of sugar, is C12H22O11.
  • Sugar is an important source of energy for the human body.
  • Excessive consumption of sugar has been linked to health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

sugar relate terms

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  • sugar

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