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Etymology

In English, the noun "drug" is thought to originate from Old French " drogue ", possibly deriving from " droge (vate)" from Middle Dutch meaning "dry (barrels)", referring to medicinal plants preserved as dry matter in barrels.

In the 1990s however, Spanish lexicographer Federico Corriente Córdoba documented the possible origin of the word in {ḥṭr} an early romanized form of Al-Andalus language from Northwestern part of the Iberian peninsula. The term could approximately be transcribed as حطروكة or hatruka.

The term "drug" has become a skunked term with negative connotation, being used as a synonym for illegal substances like cocaine or heroin or for drugs used recreationally. In other contexts the terms "drug" and "medicine" are used interchangeably.