613: sorbet and sherbet Aug 12, 2016

Sometimes there is confusion between 'sherbet' or 'sherbert' and 'sorbet'. The word, 'sorbet' came to English in the late 16th century, and as one could likely guess from the name, it comes from French. Via Italian, the word comes from the Turkish word, 'şerbet' which is based on the Arabic 'šariba' meaning ‘to drink’. While we may not think of sorbet as a drink, the word is also related to our word, 'syrup', and although it is adopted from Old French, ultimately is derived from the Arabic, 'šarāb' meaning ‘beverage’. 'Sherbet', or also the common and sometimes accepted misspelling 'sherbert', is different to 'sorbet' in that it milk or egg-whites are added. Nevertheless, 'sherbet' has similar origins to the word 'sorbet', and derives ultimately from the same word, 'šariba'.