Mannelijk

Sekt

Betekenis

Concepten

(Engels)

(masculine, strong) sparkling wine
(masculine, obsolete, strong) sack (light-colored dry wine from southern Europe, especially Spain)

Frequentie

Uitgesproken als (IPA)

/zɛkt/

Geleend van Frans

sec

In summary

Borrowed in the 17th century, and provided with a paragogic -t, from French (vin) sec (literally “dry wine”), which is also the original sense in German. The sense “sparkling wine” is believed to originate from an anecdote in 19th-century Berlin. The actor Ludwig Devrient supposedly ordered a bottle of wine using the phrase “Bring [er] mir Sekt, Schurke!”, based on the German translation of the line “Give me a cup of sack, rogue!” from Shakespeare’s Henry IV. He was served sparkling wine, his usual order, and this sense was given to the word Sekt when the phrase and anecdote caught on.