酒

Sake (酒) in Japanese is a general word for alcoholic beverages — beer is 'beer-sake' (ビール酒), whisky is 'western sake.' What English calls 'sake' is nihonshu (日本酒, 'Japanese sake') in Japan.

The rice wine we call sake has been brewed in Japan for over 2,000 years. Shinto shrines have their own sake; rice farming and sake brewing are intertwined in Japanese culture.

Sake brewing is seasonal — traditionally winter work, when cold temperatures aid fermentation. The brewer (toji) was a craftsman of great respect.

When English borrowed 'sake,' it narrowed dramatically: from 'all alcohol' to 'specifically Japanese rice wine.' The generic became specific through cultural export.