Coffee is a beverage prepared from roasted and ground seeds of the coffee plant. The word coffee is of Arabic origin, which is why sometimes coffee is known as the Arabian wine in Europe.
When it was discovered originally, it was known as ‘qahwah.’
Still, it transformed with every language as it travelled worldwide to finally become known as ‘coffee’ in North America.
This article looks at the roots of coffee’s original names and how ‘qahwah’ became coffee.
Origin of Qahwah
‘Qahwah’ is among the first recipes of a coffee-like beverage, and its origin is explained through many legends. Still, the most popular legend is that of the goat herder Kaldi, who saw his goats were excited and energetic after eating the coffee berries.
He decided to try the coffee berries by eating them and felt energetic! He then reported it to the head of a monastery, who found that coffee gave him extra energy and alertness for long hours of prayer. The drink was called ‘Qahwah.’
It was in Arabia where the first versions of cafes, called ‘qahvehkhaneh’ coffee houses, started popping up in Middle Eastern countries.
How The Name ‘Qahwah’ Changed To ‘Koffi.’
The Turkish people began calling ‘qahwah’ by a new name, ‘kahveh.’ From there, the Dutch discovered coffee in the 16th century and began opening coffee houses in Sri Lanka, Ceylon, and Java.
They called this drink a new name, ‘koffi.’
The French grew coffee in the Caribbean, the Spanish grew coffee in Central America, and the Portuguese grew coffee in Brazil.
After a short time, European coffee shops started spreading all over Italy and France, bringing a new level of popularity to coffee.
How ‘Koffi’ Turn into ‘Coffee’
When ‘koffi” came to Europe, it changed its name to what we now know as coffee. It replaced beer and wine, which were the common morning beverages.
Those who drank coffee instead of wine in the mornings were more productive in their work.
How Coffee Became the Modern Drink, We Know Today
In the wake of the 1800s, coffee spread to most parts of the world, and people started new business ventures to sell this beverage.
For example, a new self-emptying coffee bean roaster was an invention made by John and Charles Arbuckle in 1864.
This roaster was able to sell pre-roasted coffee beans in pound-sized paper bags.
This pre-roasted coffee was known as ‘Arosia’ and was commonly sold to cowboys and Californian gold miners.
Big coffee brands such as Maxwell House and Hills Brothers began to emerge after they saw a market to provide coffee that was affordable and ready to prepare as a beverage.
Final Thoughts
The name coffee has gone through a linguistic transformation to become what is known today as coffee.
It was originally known as ‘Qahwah’ before it was renamed Koffi by the Dutch, and later on, when it reached Europe, it was named coffee, a name it still holds to date.
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