Etymograph

English

kopitiam

Kopitiam comes from Malay kopitiam ‘coffee shop’, and goes back to Arabic قَهْوَة.

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentقَهْوَة‘coffee (the drink)’
  2. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928قهوهkahve‘coffee’
  3. Italianc. 1300–presentcaffè‘coffee’
  4. Dutchc. 1500–presentkoffie‘coffee (beverage)’
  5. Malaymodernkopi‘coffee’
  6. Hokkienmodern咖啡店ko-pi-tiàm
  7. Malaymodernkopitiam‘coffee shop’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2008same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentقَهْوَة‘coffee (the drink)’
  2. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928قهوهkahve‘coffee’
  3. Italianc. 1300–presentcaffè‘coffee’
  4. Dutchc. 1500–presentkoffie‘coffee (beverage)’
  5. Malaymodernkopi‘coffee’
  6. Hokkienmodern咖啡店ko-pi-tiàm
  7. Malaymodernkopitiam‘coffee shop’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2008same form

Earliest quotation: 2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening is the Whole Day: “Bustling kopitiams sprouted around derelict whiskey bars like toadstools…”

Linked words

through Ottoman Turkish قهوه ‘coffee’

cafeteria, 6 more

through Italian caffè ‘coffee’

café, caffeine, espresso, 6 more

through Dutch koffie ‘coffee (beverage)’

coffee, 1 more

Today it means

noun A traditional style of eatery having public seating and multiple vendors selling Chinese, Indian, and Malay food.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Arabic قَهْوَة / kopitiam

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