'raki' originates from Ottoman Turkish, specifically the word 'rakı', which ultimately derives from Arabic 'araq', where 'araq' meant 'sweat' or more broadly 'distillate'.

'raki' changed from the Ottoman Turkish word 'rakı', itself borrowed from Arabic 'araq'; through Turkish usage it became the modern Turkish word 'rakı' and entered English as 'raki' (or 'rakı').

Initially it referred to a 'distilled liquid' (literally 'sweat' as a metaphor for distillate), but over time it came to denote specifically the anise-flavored distilled spirit known today.