Bah! I think you may be right. A quick google corroborates it was referenced in english as early as the 14th century. I’ve been annoyed at the term milk for non lactose based liquids for a while now. I’d assumed it was modern marketing usurping the term. Now I have to find some other thing to be mildly annoyed at.

I was the same way. Its hard on this old dog sometimes.

Yes you're right that was a bad example. My bad choice of specific example shouldn't dismiss the more general point though.

If you want to pick another bad example, consider "rice milk" in Asia. Not a dairy product.

Indeed. So introducing a dairy beverage called rice milk would cause unnecessary confusion. Yes?

I don't know. We already have sheeps' milk, cows' milk, mothers' milk, milkweed...perhaps folks are ready for some variation in their language.