Origin story
Through Turkish and Italian from Arabic qahwa, the drink that moved through trade, cafes, and empire.
Why it sticks
A word that traveled almost as well as the habit did.
Food
A word that traveled almost as well as the habit did.
Through Turkish and Italian from Arabic qahwa, the drink that moved through trade, cafes, and empire.
A word that traveled almost as well as the habit did.
A short etymology card for coffee: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.
Use this page as a public web reference, not an official agency record. The linked official source remains the final authority.
Word Origin Atlas. "Coffee Origin and Meaning | Word Origin Atlas". https://www.wordoriginatlas.com/words/coffee/. Reviewed Jul 2026.
Source and citation notes