The Surprising Etymology of 'Vodka'

Did you know vodka means "little water" in Russian? This article explores the ancient origins of the word for "water" in Western languages, tracing it back thousands of years to Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Two root words, 'ap' (water as a living force) and 'wed' (water as an inanimate object), evolved into the modern words we use today, like "water" and "aqua." The journey from PIE to modern English and Spanish reveals the fascinating evolution of language and explains the surprising etymology of vodka.