A cewar ƙamus na Turanci na Oxford, "arrack" suna ne da ke nufin wani abu mai ruhi da aka distilled a ƙasashe daban-daban na Gabas, kamar Indiya, Sri Lanka, da Indonesiya, yawanci daga fermented sap ko molasses. Kalmar “arrack” an yi imanin ta samo asali ne daga kalmar larabci ta “araq,” wadda ke nufin “gumi” ko “condensation,” kuma wataƙila an fara amfani da ita wajen bayyana ɗigon ruwan barasa da ke tasowa a kan har yanzu a lokacin aikin distillation.