What’s in a Name?
- Ahmet Baristiran
- Jan 11, 2015
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
What’s in a Name?
Tracing the Origins of the Word “Coffee”
Coffee. A single word that today evokes cafés, rituals, and morning routines across the globe — but where does it actually come from?
In this post, we explore the surprising linguistic journey of the word “coffee”, how it evolved through time and cultures, and what it originally meant before reaching your morning cup.
Coffee: Once a Well-Kept Secret
For centuries, coffee was exclusive to the Arabian Peninsula. Only in the 1400s did it begin its spread outward — first to the Ottoman Empire, then to Europe, and eventually around the world. Today, it’s one of the most widely consumed drinks on the planet.
But what does the word “coffee” actually mean? And how did we arrive at the name we use today?
First Came the Bean – Not the Brew
Before we dive into the language, let’s clarify something: The word “coffee” refers to the drink, not the plant or its fruit. If you’re looking for the botanical background (genus Coffea, family Rubiaceae), this Wikipedia article on the coffee plant will serve you well. You can also grow your own - Try a coffee plant for your windowsill.
Now, let’s rewind back to the beginning.
“Bunna” – The Original Name for Coffee...kind of...
📍 9th Century – Abyssinia (Modern-Day Ethiopia)
In the highlands of East Africa, the Galla (Oromo) tribes, after learning from their goats (remember the shepherd, Kaldi?), they also discovered that when they chewed these berries, it gave them a burst of energy. As nomadic people, they didn’t brew the beans — they mixed them with animal fat and ate them like energy balls. These berries were known as “bunna”, and this is where coffee’s earliest usage can be traced. But this wasn’t coffee as we know it — it was a food, not a drink.
“Qahwa” – The Arabic Evolution of Coffee
📍 14th Century – Yemen
The transformation from “bunna” to “qahwa” is less straightforward — yet more poetic. The word “qahwa” is central to coffee’s journey. There does not seem to be a clear etymological relationship between the respective Abyssinian and Yemenite terms for coffee. So how come the change? Well, things aren’t that simple in the world of coffee (plus it was quite a long time ago). There are five commonly accepted theories to the origins of the name. Feel free to take your pick. They’re probably all true...
“Qahwa” is derived from the name of the region of Kaffa, in Abyssinia.
“Qahwa” came from the verb, “qahā” - meaning “to lack hunger”, in reference to the drinks' reputation as an appetite suppressant.
“Qahwa” is a derivative of the Arabic word for “power" or "energy".
“Qahwa” was the Arabic word for “making something repugnant or lessening one’s desire for something”.
“Qahwa” was the name given to mean “the wine of something” – "qahhwat al-bun", meaning “wine of the bean”?
Coffee Spreads — and Language Adapts
From Yemen, the word travelled with the beans and each new culture added its own twist to the name:
The drink became a phenomenon, and its name evolved into hundreds of variants — each echoing its Arabic roots. Only Ethiopia stands apart with “bunna”, possibly the oldest term in use. You might not be able to get bunna quite freely, but you can still get a taste of Ethiopian coffee.
Did You Know?
🌱 The mother plant for many of the world’s Coffea arabica varieties is still preserved in Amsterdam’s Hortus Botanicus — one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world.
Now that's a great reason to visit Amsterdam (aside from the canals, stroopwafels and other touristic entertainments).
The Final Sip
So, next time you enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee — or any coffee — take a moment to think about the journey its name has taken. From tribal berries to sacred brews, and from "bunna" to “qahwa” to “coffee,” a beautiful legacy is written, not just in history, but in rich language.
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