koffie

Forms

koffie f or m (plural koffies, diminutive koffietje n)^[1]

Etymology

The source of the Dutch form is disputed.^[2][3][1] In the view of the WNT and De Vries & De Tollenaere it is borrowed from English coffee, spelled ⟨coffe⟩ in English as early as 1601, and the EWN allows a borrowing through English as possible.^[3][4][2] Van Veen & Van der Sijs and Van der Sijs 2005 hesitate between English and Ottoman Turkish قهوه (kahve), Wiktionary derives it from Italian caffè, and Etymonline takes the English word from the Dutch one.^[5][6][1][7] The Turkish word is from Arabic قهوة (qahwa), which first meant “wine”.^[2][8][9]

The EWN explains that the Arabs came to know coffee in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa and, since coffee is a stimulant like wine, gave the drink from Kaffa the existing word for wine;^[2][8][5] De Vries thought the name of Kaffa must also have played a part, while Van Veen & Van der Sijs call a derivation from Kaffa folk etymology.^[2][8][5] Dozy reports the Arab philologists' explanation from a root meaning “to have no appetite for food”: wine takes away the appetite, coffee sleep.^[10]

The European languages settled on forms with ⟨o⟩, as in the Dutch word, English and older German ⟨koffee⟩, and forms with ⟨a⟩, as in French café, German Kaffee and Swedish kaffe.^[2][3][9] The ⟨o⟩ may go back to an earlier ⟨au⟩ for the sounds of the Arabic and Turkish words, or the English ⟨coffa⟩, ⟨coffe⟩ may be variants of ⟨caffa⟩, as with dollar.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first Dutch record, of 1596, has the Turks drinking their chaoua, which they make from certain fruits.^[2][3] Around 1640 the drink is called koffy.^[2][11]

Semantic evolution

Seventeenth-century texts write the Arabic word by ear as chaoua, cauwa or cahwœ.^[3][2] In 1669 tea and coffee were to be had on the Rokin in Amsterdam, and a text from after 1684 says that coffee had become popular here through the English.^[2] Coffee was at first drunk mainly in coffee houses, but by the end of the 18th century it was a popular drink; the spelling koffie is from 1799.^[3][2] Koffiedrinken also came to mean a daily meal, in the north the bread meal around midday, in the south breakfast, whether coffee is served or not.^[3] During the Second World War koffie was a code word for dark-haired Jewish children who had to be hidden, thee for fair-haired ones.^[12]

Dutch passed the word on to Russian kófe (older kófij, from 1724), to Malay kopi, Japanese コーヒー (kōhī), Negerhollands kofi and Berbice Dutch kofi.^{[2][8][13][1]}

Timeline

• 1596 – The Turks' drink is called chaoua.^[2][3]
• c. 1640 – The form koffy is recorded.^[2][11]
• 1669 – Coffi is sold on the Rokin in Amsterdam.^[2]
• 1689 – Women earn a living by koffy-schencken “serving coffee”.^[3]
• 1724 – Russian kófij is recorded, borrowed from Dutch.^[8]
• 1799 – The spelling koffie is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. Coffee as a natural product, the seeds of the coffee plant; coffee beans.^[14]
2. Ground roasted coffee beans.^[14][15]
3. The drink made by pouring boiling water over ground coffee beans; a cup of it.^[14][16][1]
4. The shrub on which coffee beans grow.^[14][15]

Word family

• koffieboon
• koffieboom
• koffiehuis
• koffiedik
• koffiemolen
• koffiepot
• koffiekan
• koffiezetapparaat
• koffieleut
• koffiepauze
• koffieshop
• ijskoffie
• filterkoffie
• oploskoffie

Related words

• café
• cafeïne
• English coffee

Usage notes

Dat is andere koffie means “that is quite another matter”.^[14][16] Op de koffie komen is to come off badly;^[5][17] Van Veen & Van der Sijs suggest it meant “to be treated”, ironically.^[5][17]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 203
5. ^ a b c d e Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
6. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
10. ^ Dozy, R. (1867), Oosterlingen: verklarende lijst der Nederlandsche woorden die uit het Arabisch, Hebreeuwsch, Chaldeeuwsch, Perzisch en Turksch afkomstig zijn, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
11. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
12. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
16. ^ a b Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
17. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme