coffee-table
UK[ˈkɒfi ˌteɪbl̩]US[ˈkɔːfi ˌteɪbl̩]
n
A low table, typically placed in front of a sofa, used to hold items such as drinks, books, or decorative objects.
Morpheme Breakdown
coffee
table
coffee
table
Etymology
The compound "coffee-table" is a modern English formation, a straightforward combination of two nouns to create a new, specific term. The first element, "coffee," entered English in the late 16th century from the Ottoman Turkish kahve, via Arabic qahwa and Dutch/Italian intermediaries, referring to the stimulating beverage. The second element, "table," has a much deeper history, tracing back to Latin tabula meaning "a board, plank, flat piece." This Latin root evolved into Old French table, which was borrowed into Old English as tabele, solidifying its meaning as a piece of furniture. The logic of the compound is purely functional: it names a low table designed for the specific, social context of serving coffee or other refreshments in a living room setting, highlighting its role in domestic leisure.
Analysis
Structure: coffee + table
coffee: (Origin: Ottoman Turkish, via Arabic and Dutch/Italian) The name of the beverage, used attributively to describe the table's typical use.
table: (Origin: Latin, via Old English and French) A piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs.
Examples
She placed the art book on the coffee-table for guests to browse.
The antique coffee-table was the centerpiece of the living room.
He accidentally spilled his drink on the glass coffee-table.