Etymology Map
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Kefir

3 stages from Karachay-Balkar to English.

Today it means a sour fermented milk drink made with kefir grains

Where does the word "kefir" come from? It comes from Karachay-Balkar kefir, passing through Russian before entering English (1880s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
kefir
Karachay-Balkar · 1800s
"fermented milk"
the fermented milk of the peoples around Mount Elbrus in the North Caucasus; the word's deeper origin is uncertain (a Turkic word for 'foam' is one guess)
2
Stage 2 of 3
kefir
Russian · 1880s
"fermented milk drink"
Russian doctors studied and prescribed it in the late 1800s; a much-told story has Irina Sakharova obtaining the jealously guarded grains from a Karachay prince so that a Moscow dairy could sell kefir from 1908
3
Stage 3 of 3
kefir
English · 1880s
"fermented milk drink"
described in English from the 1880s; its 'grains' are a living mix of bacteria and yeasts, not cereal
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Kefir’s story begins in Karachay-Balkar: kefir meant “fermented milk.” The fermented milk of the peoples around Mount Elbrus in the North Caucasus; the word's deeper origin is uncertain (a Turkic word for 'foam' is one guess). By 1880s, the word had taken hold in Russian as kefir. Russian doctors studied and prescribed it in the late 1800s; a much-told story has Irina Sakharova obtaining the jealously guarded grains from a Karachay prince so that a Moscow dairy could sell kefir from 1908. It reached English by 1880s as kefir. Described in English from the 1880s; its 'grains' are a living mix of bacteria and yeasts, not cereal. Today, kefir means a sour fermented milk drink made with kefir grains.