Espresso — From Italian to English | etymologist.ai
espresso
/ɛˈspɹɛs.oʊ/·noun·1945 (in English)·Established
Origin
English 'espresso' comes from Italian 'caffè espresso' (pressed-out coffee), from Latin 'exprimere' (to press out), from 'ex-' (out) + 'premere' (to press) — naming the coffee after its extraction method, not its speed, despite the persistent folk-etymological misspelling 'expresso.'
Definition
Strong black coffee made by forcing steam or hot water through finely ground coffee beans under pressure.
The Full Story
Italian1945 (in English)well-attested
From Italian 'caffè espresso' (pressed-out coffee), from 'espresso,' the past participle of 'esprimere' (to press out, to express), from Latin 'exprimere' (to press out, to squeeze out), from 'ex-' (out) + 'premere' (to press). The name refers to the method of extraction: water or steam is pressed through the coffee grounds under pressure. 'Premere' derives from PIE *per- (to strike). The common English
Did you know?
Thespelling 'expresso' is not a mere error — it reveals an unconscious folk etymology. Englishspeakers reinterpret 'espresso' as 'expresso' because they associate the drink with speed ('express delivery'). But the Italian 'espresso' means 'pressed out,' referring to the