Cola
/ˈkoʊ.lə/noun
A carbonated soft drink, especially one flavored with kola nut and often containing caffeine.
Did you know?The name comes from the kola nut, whose caffeine-bearing seeds helped inspire the original Coca-Cola formula in the nineteenth century.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
West African languages
kola
“The name of the caffeine-rich kola nut, especially in the region of West Africa where it was cultivated and traded.”
16th Century
Portuguese
cola
“A borrowing referring to the kola nut encountered through West African trade.”
Late 16th–17th Century
English
kola
“The seed or tree of the kola, introduced into English botanical and commercial vocabulary.”
19th Century
English
cola
“A drink flavored with kola nut or modeled on its stimulant properties.”
Modern English
English
cola
“A sweet, carbonated soft drink, typically dark-colored and often caffeinated.”
Explore more surprising origins