alcoholic

the word 'alcoholic' is a modern formation, directly combining the noun 'alcohol' with the adjectival suffix '-ic'. the term 'alcohol' itself has a fascinating journey, originating from the arabic 'al-kuḥl', which referred to a fine powder used as eyeliner. through medieval latin and european alchemy, the term's meaning evolved to denote any refined substance or essence, eventually becoming specifically associated with the distilled spirit we know today. the suffix '-ic', of latin and greek origin, is commonly used to form adjectives meaning 'related to'. thus, 'alcoholic' literally means 'pertaining to alcohol', a logical construction that first described substances containing the spirit, and later, by metaphorical extension, people afflicted by an addiction to it.

Structure: alcohol (substance) + ic (adjective suffix) alcohol (origin: from arabic al-kuḥl, via medieval latin; functional role: base noun denoting the substance) + ic (origin: from latin -icus, greek -ikos; functional role: suffix forming adjectives meaning 'of or pertaining to')