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elixir

elixir — a wonder remedy; a medicinal liquorremedio maravilloso; licor medicinal

Comes from Arabic

الإِكْسِير

al-iksīr

“the philosopher's stone; a medicinal powder”«la piedra filosofal; polvo medicinal»

Arabic today says

إِكْسِير

iksīr

And it still does

The article

Spanish kept the Arabic article al- glued to the word.

Arabic itself had taken it from Greek.

The story

From Greek xērion, a drying powder for wounds. Arab alchemists turned it into the substance that could transmute metals and prolong life: the "elixir of life" is إكسير الحياة.Del griego xērion, polvo secante para las heridas. Los alquimistas árabes lo convirtieron en la sustancia capaz de transmutar metales y alargar la vida: el «elixir de la vida» es إكسير الحياة.