# Beer Is Beer In Most Romance Languages, Except In Spanish And Portuguese; Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429 "2022-07-23T14:21:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/1 "2022-07-23T14:21:22Z")
Based on my cursory Googling, it looks like “beer” is basically the same word in other Romance languages: “birra” in Italian, “bière” in French, and “bere” in Romanian. It’s also “beer” in non-Romance European languages, such as “bier” in German and Dutch. Scandinavian languages apparently use words based on the same root that gives us “ale” in English, but never mind that. Spanish and Portuguese seem to be outliers here: “cerveza” and “cerveja,” respectively. What’s the source of the difference? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/2 "2022-07-23T14:31:26Z")
**cervesia** is Latin for Beer. Beer or Bier is a borrowed word in many languages from German roots. The origin of the German word is disputed. I love the fact that Beer in Japanese is Biru. But generally in Asia it is not related directly to Bier. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/3 "2022-07-23T14:35:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I love the fact that Beer in Japanese is Biru Yeah the Japanese are like that with foreign words. They don’t bother to find a local equivalent, they just use the foreign word. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/4 "2022-07-23T14:44:44Z")
Birah in Hebrew. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/5 "2022-07-23T14:45:57Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The origin of the German word is disputed. Personally, I think “barley”, “brew”, and “beer” are cognates, but there’s not any evidence for it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/6 "2022-07-23T14:51:18Z")
I’ve also seen Bier is derived from Latin Biber (to Drink) Or derived from Bier as in "to Bear or “to Carry”. As Porter is my favorite type of Ale. It is derived from the fact it first gained popularity among English Porters who carried stuff for people; I hope it is derived from that version of Bier. Bere or Bear is a type of Barley tying back to your thought. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/7 "2022-07-23T21:25:14Z")
Beer is ‘Pivo’ or similar in different Slavic languages. Since ‘pi’ / '‘pit’ is to drink, this may be a comparable derivation as the suggested Latin origin for beer. ‘Bira / Bier / Biru’ is well-understood in Slavic countries but is probably more a 20th century mass communication and tourism borrowing. ‘Dos cerveza’ will get you sufficient earthworms. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/8 "2022-07-23T22:43:48Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Birah in Hebrew. Obviously a borrowing! Cf. Akkadian terms for beer like _billatu_ [cf. Hebrew ב-ל-ל) and _šikāru_ (= strong beer/alcohol, = Hebrew שֵׁכָר ) ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/9 "2022-07-23T22:52:15Z")
In Irish we have Celtic leann (ale) as well as Germanic beoir (beer) from the Vikings. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2022, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/10 "2022-07-24T10:24:46Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **cervesia** is Latin for Beer. Indeed, but I’d like to add that it’s not a native Latin word; the Romans borrowed it from the Celts. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/11 "2022-07-26T00:11:36Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > “brew”, and “beer” are cognates, but there’s not any evidence for it. This, yes. And “bread.” ETA: Turns out I’m wrong! ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/12 "2022-07-26T00:16:16Z")
Actually, it turns out “bread” and “brew” ARE related (“to boil”), but neither (probably) is related to “beer”!! Crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/13 "2022-07-26T02:04:11Z")
In several Spanish speaking countries, the word _birra_ is also used, sometimes less formally. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/14 "2022-07-26T13:59:01Z")
French also had _cervoise_, but this was replaced by _biere_ a few centuries ago. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/15 "2022-07-26T15:59:25Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Obviously a borrowing! Cf. Akkadian terms for beer like _billatu_ [cf. Hebrew ב-ל-ל) and _šikāru_ (= strong beer/alcohol, = Hebrew שֵׁכָר ) Though that doesn’t explain similarity to the Germanic “bier” as Akkadian is semetic like Hewbrew, not Indo-European like the Germanic languages. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/16 "2022-07-26T16:10:16Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I love the fact that Beer in Japanese is Biru. I was going to say that, and there you are in the first response. > [@HeyHomie](#): > > Yeah the Japanese are like that with foreign words. They don’t bother to find a local equivalent, they just use the foreign word. ‘Helicopter’ in Japanese is herikoputā, and ‘steak’ is sutēki. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/17 "2022-07-26T17:09:52Z")
Yeah, I’m unjustifiably salty about this. Like, the Japanese call milk “miiruku.” Except that mammals have been on those islands for millions of years, and human mammals have been on them for, what, 20,000 years? Surely they had a word for the substance that emerged from a breast before an English-speaker taught them “milk.” Just use that, Japan. Haiyaa.\* \*I’m pretty sure “Haiyaa” is Malay and not pan-Asian, but until I learn the Japanse equivalent, Haiyaa it is. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/18 "2022-07-26T17:34:28Z")
Why do you assume that “the Japanese call milk “miiruku””? My Japanese is, for the sake of argument, close to nil, but I certainly remember words like “gyuunyuu” and “chichi”. > [@griffin1977](#): > > > [@DPRK](#): > > > > Obviously a borrowing! Cf. Akkadian terms for beer like _billatu_ [cf. Hebrew ב-ל-ל) and _šikāru_ (= strong beer/alcohol, = Hebrew שֵׁכָר ) > > Though that doesn’t explain similarity to the Germanic “bier” as Akkadian is semetic like Hewbrew, not Indo-European like the Germanic languages. Are you certain there is any true similarity there, as opposed to coincidence (both words start with a ‘b’…)? “Billatu” (I guess something like בלילה in Hebrew) is derived from a root having to do with mixture, while “Bier” (cf. “booze”) traces back to Indo-European, as you point out. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/19 "2022-07-26T17:41:31Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Why do you assume that “the Japanese call milk “miiruku””? Says so on my Google Translate app, which is, of course, not the Be All End All of language, but it’s a starting point. I also remember learning that word in the few months that I spent there back in the middle 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429/20 "2022-07-26T17:47:46Z")
OK, but I just tried typing “I would like a glass of milk” into DeepL Translate, and it said “牛乳が飲みたい”. But there are posters currently living in Japan who ought to be able to settle this. ETA but we don’t need them to see that the Japanese are quite capable of discussing milk without lapsing into English or German. Not that Japanese has any trouble borrowing words (especially from Chinese!!) or that maybe some people think foreign-sounding words are cool. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-is-beer-in-most-romance-languages-except-in-spanish-and-portuguese-why/968429.md?page=2)