Kaffe
/ˈkafːɛ/noun
A Scandinavian word meaning coffee, especially in Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian.
Did you know?Arabic qahwa may originally have referred to wine or another intoxicating drink before becoming associated with coffee, though scholars debate the exact semantic path.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
qahwa
“A term associated with an intoxicating beverage and later with coffee; its earliest sense is debated.”
15th Century
Arabic
qahwa
“Coffee, particularly in the context of the drink’s cultivation and use in Yemen.”
16th Century
Ottoman Turkish
kahve
“Coffee, borrowed from Arabic and spread through Ottoman commercial and social life.”
17th Century
Italian
caffè
“Coffee, adopted through Mediterranean trade.”
17th Century
German
Kaffee
“Coffee, from Italian or related European forms.”
17th–18th Century
Scandinavian
kaffe
“Coffee, adopted into Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian.”
Modern English
English
coffee
“The roasted seeds of the coffee plant, or the beverage made from them.”