sherbet

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈʃɜː.bət/, /ˈʃɜː.bɪt/ (UK); /ˈʃɝ.bət/, /ˈʃɝ.bɪt/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is from Turkish şerbet,^[2][3] from Persian sharbat,^[4][3][2] from Arabic شَرْبَة (šarba, “a drink”),^[4][3][2] from šariba “to drink”.^[4][3] Etymonline calls it a doublet of syrup.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first meant a cooling Middle Eastern drink of diluted, sweetened fruit juice, often chilled with snow.^[3][5][4]

Semantic evolution

In Europe the word was used for imitations of this drink, and later for an effervescing drink made from sherbet powder.^[5][4] Because the original drink contained fruit and was often cooled with snow, the name passed to a frozen dessert,^[4] which is distinguished from water ices by containing milk, egg white or gelatin.^[4][2][6]

Timeline

• 1580s – first recorded, as sorbet.^[3]
• 1603 – sherbet;^[4][2] the OED dates the European imitation drink to 1603.^[5]
• 1670s – the form sherbert.^[3]
• 1856 – sherbet powder.^[5]
• 1891 – the frozen dessert.^[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A frozen dessert of fruit juice and sugar with milk, egg white or gelatin added.
2. A drink of sweetened, diluted fruit juice.
3. (British) A sweet effervescent powder.

Related words

• sorbet
• syrup

Usage notes

American Heritage distinguishes sherbet slightly from sorbet, which can also mean a fruit-flavoured ice served between courses.^[4]

References

1. [1] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin
5. [1] [2] [3] [4] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. [1] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House