Word of the Week – Coffee (Archive)

Last published June 2017.

I’ve featured this word a few times now before, and I know much of my readership has changed over the years. And let’s be honest–coffee deserves to be featured again. Because it’s one of the most beautiful creations in the universe. 😉 The best guess of the awesome www.etymonline.com is that our word coffee came from the Italian caffe, which came the Turkish kahveh, which in turn came from the Arabic qahwah. Which, they think, got its name from the Kaffa region in Ethiopia, where most historians say coffee originated.

God bless those Arabians in Ethiopia!

Coffee was introduced in England by 1650, and within 25 years, over
3,000 coffeehouses dotted the country. (I heard a theory saying that the
English moving from ale to coffee is why there was a great expansion in
their empire, LOL.)

What I didn’t realize is that by 1774 one could use the word coffee to refer to a small meal where the drink was served, much like tea. Who knew?

In my house, we take our coffee very seriously. Since college, my husband and I have used whole beans and ground them fresh every morning. Last Christmas, we splurged on a gorgeous Jura Ena coffee system as a gift for each other. This thing creates the most beautiful, delicious cup of coffee ever, and it makes getting up in the morning something to look forward to.

So I’m going to have another cup. Go sip some in my honor if you’re a coffee drinker! 😉