A variant spelling of 'argal,' referring to crude tartar or the deposit left in wine casks.
From Medieval Latin 'argol' or Old French 'argol,' derived from Arabic 'al-qali' (alkali). The word traveled through trade routes as wine commerce spread across Europe, and spelling variations proliferated before standardization.
Before modern chemistry, winegrowers discovered that crusty deposits in their barrels could be used to make chemicals—so 'argaile' is literally medieval chemistry, the accidental science that happened at the bottom of expensive wine vats.
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