What does negus mean?
Negus is an unusual English word with two established but unrelated senses. In historical British usage, it referred to a warming drink made from wine or a mixture of spirits, fruit juice, spices, and honey; recipes varied considerably, and the drink was especially associated with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The second sense is a title meaning “king,” used particularly for the sovereign of Ethiopia and sometimes rendered “emperor” in older translations and literature. The two senses are more closely connected than they first appear: the drink’s name is traditionally connected with the Ethiopian ruler called the Negus, although the exact naming history is not entirely certain. Today, “negus” survives in historical writing, discussions of old-fashioned drinks, and references to Ethiopian monarchy, giving it a distinctly antiquarian and cultural interest.
nounA historical drink made from wine flavored with spices and other ingredients, once popular in Britain. Negus also denotes a king, especially the sovereign title used by Ethiopian monarchs.
- A historical spiced wine or punch-like drink.
- The title of an Ethiopian king, and by extension an emperor.
"The guests were served steaming cups of negus after dinner."
"A bowl of hot negus warmed the guests after their journey through the snow."
"The Negus of Ethiopia was recognized as the sole legitimate source of authority in the empire."
The regular plural applies to both the drink and the royal title, although the drink sense is largely historical.
"The chronicler described the neguses served at court and the Neguses who ruled the empire."
One word can mean both a spiced wine enjoyed in Georgian Britain and the title of an Ethiopian monarch.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of negus
The title comes from an Ethiopic word transmitted through Amharic, nəguś, meaning “king,” and was used as the sovereign title of Ethiopian monarchs. The English drink name appeared in the early eighteenth century and is commonly said to have been given in honor of the Negus of Ethiopia, though the precise circumstances of the name are not securely documented.
How negus is actually used
The drink is now chiefly historical and literary. The royal title is used mainly in historical, literary, or explicitly Ethiopian contexts, usually with initial capitalization.