How did the word "coffee" originate?

w4rwick

The coffee plant is said to have originated in Ethiopia, in an area called "Kaffa" from which the name coffee got its name. The first definite dates go back to 800 BC, but many Arabian legends tell the story of a mysterious black and bitter beverage with powers of stimulation. Dec 23 04, 5:28 AM

Arpeggionist

In Arabic, which is indirectly the source language of the word, the word is pronounced "qahuah". Dec 23 04, 6:35 AM

Flynn_17

I always thought it was the turkish pronunciation of the arabic word for coffee. Other Turksih words that have weedled their way in include bizarre and yacht. Dec 23 04, 9:30 AM

gmackematix

The OED agrees with you there, Flynn, although the origin of the coffee plant itself is disputed between the Kaffa region of Ethiopia and Yemen. Look in the history part of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee Dec 26 04, 9:24 PM