All about coffee by William H. Ukers

_w_ (or labialized _u_) is retained or changed into _f_. It may be stated, accordingly, that the chief reason for the existence of two distinct types of spelling is the omission of _h_ in unstressed languages, and the conversion of _h_ into _f_ under strong stress in stressed languages. Such conversion often takes place in Turkish; for example, _silah dar_ in Persian (which is a highly stressed language) becomes _zilif dar_ in Turkish. In the languages of India, on the other hand, in spite of the fact that the aspirate is usually very clearly sounded, the word _qahvah_ is pronounced _kaiva_ by the less educated classes, owing to the syllables being equally stressed. Now for the French viewpoint. Jardin[3] opines that, as regards the etymology of the word coffee, scholars are not agreed and perhaps never will be. Dufour[4] says the word is derived from _caouhe_, a name given by the Turks to the beverage prepared from the seed. Chevalier d'Arvieux, French consul at Alet, Savary, and Trevoux, in his dictionary, think that coffee comes from the Arabic, but from the word _cahoueh_ or _quaweh_, meaning to give vigor or strength, because, says d'Arvieux, its most general effect is to fortify and strengthen. Tavernier combats this opinion. Moseley attributes the origin of the word coffee to Kaffa. Sylvestre de Sacy, in his _Chréstomathie Arabe_, published in 1806, thinks that the word _kahwa_, synonymous with _makli_, roasted in a stove, might very well be the etymology of the word coffee. D'Alembert in his encyclopedic dictionary, writes the word _caffé_. Jardin concludes that whatever there may be in these various etymologies, it remains a fact that the word coffee comes from an Arabian word, whether it be _kahua_, _kahoueh_, _kaffa_ or _kahwa_, and that the peoples who have adopted the drink have all modified the Arabian word to suit their pronunciation. This is shown by giving the word as written in various modern languages: French, _café_; Breton, _kafe_; German, _kaffee_ (coffee tree, _kaffeebaum_); Dutch, _koffie_ (coffee tree, _koffieboonen_); Danish, _kaffe_; Finnish, _kahvi_; Hungarian, _kavé_; Bohemian, _kava_; Polish, _kawa_; Roumanian, _cafea_; Croatian, _kafa_; Servian, _kava_; Russian, _kophe_; Swedish, _kaffe_; Spanish, _café_; Basque, _kaffia_; Italian, _caffè_; Portuguese, _café_; Latin (scientific), _coffea_; Turkish, _kahué_; Greek, _kaféo_; Arabic, _qahwah_ (coffee berry, _bun_); Persian, _qéhvé_ (coffee berry, _bun_[5]); Annamite, _ca-phé_; Cambodian, _kafé_; Dukni[6], _bunbund_[7]; Teluyan[8], _kapri-vittulu_; Tamil[9], _kapi-kottai_ or _kopi_; Canareze[10], _kapi-bija_; Chinese, _kia-fey_, _teoutsé_; Japanese, _kéhi_; Malayan, _kawa_, _koppi_; Abyssinian, _bonn_[11]; Foulak, _legal café_[12]; Sousou, _houri caff_[13]; Marquesan, _kapi_; Chinook[14], _kaufee_; Volapuk, _kaf_; Esperanto, _kafva_. [Illustration: THE FAIRY BEAUTY OF A COFFEE TREE IN FLOWER]