Where Does the Word “Coffee” Come From?

The word “coffee” is a modern English manipulation that has many theories of its origin. Some estimate it to be the Arabic word “qawah” or after the coffee plant’s region of origin, Kaffa in Ethiopia. Alternatively, it could derive from ancient Abyssinia as it does hail from the Kaffa Province too.

Many scholars disagree on the exact origin of the English word, “coffee.” But everyone does seem to accept the idea that it has a connection to this Arabic word, “qawah.” The history of the word “coffee” shrouds in some mystery, but we can surmise the English version has a direct correlation to the Dutch, “koffie.”

What Is Coffee’s Etymology (the Study of Words and Their Origins)?

The word we know today called “coffee” has several origin theories. While most learned scholars do not agree, the most accepted is that it’s a direct appropriation from the Dutch word, “koffie.”

But this is a transmutation from the Turkish, “kahveh.” However, even that is a metamorphosis from the original Arabic word, “qawah,” which translates to “wine.” This derives from the verb “qahiya,” meaning “to lack hunger.” There are indications that it derives from the Turkish or Arabic “chaoua,” “cahve” or “kahui.”

However, other theories postulate that it comes from the Kaffa highland region of southwestern Ethiopia, where the plant originated. And yet some suggest that it comes from the Kaffa Province of ancient Abyssinia. But, it’s important to note that they call the coffee plant, “būn” or “bunn” in these areas.

How Did “Qawah” Evolve & Develop into the word, “Coffee?”

Since coffee is a notorious hunger suppressant, the name seems to fit. Our first known written account about the coffee plant comes from Rhazes, an ancient Arabian physician. However, the word “al-qahwa” is a term used in the area around Yemen in the 14th century AD.

Estimates place the English acquisition of it around the late 1500s. But, 1598 seems to reveal a more solid understanding of the evolution of “coffee” as a word. It was at this time that the Turkish and Arabic peoples were trading with each other. Thus, the many names for “coffee” developed.

How Does the Arabic & Turkish Languages Influence the Word, “Qawah?”

Prior to the mass consumption of coffee, “qawah” was a word that referenced making something repulsive or removing one’s desire for something. Certain medieval Arab lexicographers translate “qawah” as wine or dark stuff.  However, it’s important to note that this indicates a specific type of wine thought to dull hunger pains.

Why Do Europeans Pronounce “Coffee” Differently?

As “qawah” moved onto European cultures, we can surmise that some had difficulty with the Arabic pronunciation. Therefore, we have all the European variations for the word, “coffee.”

Regardless of the form it takes, they all indicate a brewed beverage from the dried and roasted beans of the coffee plant. The French call it “café” while the Germans say “kaffe” and yet the Italians use “caffé.” The following list indicates other European words that seem to derive from or share these roots.

• Кофе or Kofe (Russian)
• Καφές or Kafés (Greek)
• Kohv (Estonian)
• Koffie (Dutch & Afrikaans)
• Kawa (Polish; pronounced with a ‘v’ sound)
• Kavy (Ukrainian)
• Káva (Czech, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Croatian, Slovakian & Ukrainian)
• Kahvi (Finnish)
• Kaffi (Icelandic)
• Kaffee (German)
• Kaffe (Norwegian, Swedish & Danish)
• Kafe (Bulgarian & Maltese)
• Akeuta or Kafea (Basque)
• Coffi (Welsh)
• Caife (Irish)
• Caffè (Sicilian & Italian)
• Cafea (Romanian)
• Café (French, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Spanish & English)

How Does the Word “Coffee” Relate to Its Importation into Europe?

While most people accept that coffee came from the Arabic speaking regions of the world, how the caffeinated beverage arrived is another debate altogether. Some say it occurred in Vienna, Italy via a merchant from places like Egypt.

Yet others say it came to Europe via the introduction from an envoy from the Ottoman Empire. It was at this time that he visited nobles, royalty and the aristocracy of Paris, France. Yet, other say the real introduction of coffee occurred with Germany, being right next door to the Ottoman Empire.

Regardless of the details, certainly the Turkish word “kahve” has a great influence on our current pronunciation of the word, “coffee.”

Why Do Some People Call Coffee “Java?”

The word “java” as a synonym for “coffee” is a 17th century Dutch importation. Traders and plantation owners in Indonesia, such as on the islands of Java and Sumatra, used it as a way to refer to coffee specifically from that region. However, the word stuck and now is slang that refers to any kind of coffee.

Who First Started Using the Phrase “Cup of Joe?”

We’re not sure why people use the phrase “cup of Joe” to refer to “coffee.” There are a few postulations but no scholar can agree on one. Some say it’s an English adaptation of saying “cappuccino” which may have originated as “cuppa Joe.”

The more accepted version harkens back to World War I in 1914. Apparently Josephus “Joe” Daniels, secretary of the US Navy, forbid the consumption of alcohol, particularly rum, onboard his ships. It was after this time the only beverage with kick allowed was coffee. Therefore, begrudging sailors used the phrase, “cup of Joe” as a stinging sobriquet.

How Did “Mocha” Become Another Word for “Coffee?”

“Mocha” is another word that refers to coffee and harkens back to the days when Yemen’s Port of Mokha was the hub of coffee exports. Like the word “java,” it indicates the specific type of bean and from where it comes. However, this particular variety came from Ethiopia and was not native to Yemen.

But, their production of the bean combined with the unique growing conditions of the area gave it near-instant worldwide acclaim. Even though the Port of Mokha isn’t the hub it once was in regards to coffee, people still refer to it as a word for coffee. But, the implication of the word gives it a sense or addition of chocolate.