Tobacco - Origin and History of Tobacco Consumption
We would like to explain the origin of the word tabaco, which in German means tobacco, the other words used for this term, and some additional facts.
Word Origin
In the German language, the plant is called Tabak, or in older spelling Taback. In Spanish, it is called tabaco, which originated from the dialects of Haiti and Cuba in the forms tabaco, tauaco. Originally, this referred to the cigarette or small cigar made from tobacco leaves, and later to the tobacco leaves themselves. In English, the plant is called tobacco. What all these words have in common is that they refer to the nicotine-containing plant called tobacco, which belongs to the nightshade family.
Some derive the name tobacco from the Mexican place name Tabasco or the Caribbean island of Tobago. There, the "smoking pipe" was called tobago. Others trace the name back to the New Spanish province of Tabaco, from where the Spanish monk Roman Pane is said to have brought the plant to Europe in 1496. Since the 15th century, the medicinal plant has also been associated with the Arabic word tabbaq in Europe. The German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, on the other hand, recounts that the inhabitants of the island of Haiti called the device or instrument for smoking Tabaco, and the plant got its name from there.
The tobacco plant owes its Latin name Nicotiana to the French envoy Jean Nicot, who brought tobacco plants from Lisbon to his queen, Catherine of Medici, in 1560. He discovered the plant's medicinal properties and initially referred to it as a wonder herb. At that time, tobacco was used as a universal remedy for various ailments. In honor of the French diplomat Nicot, the tobacco plant was later named "Nicotiana" and its main alkaloid, "nicotine."
Synonyms for Tobacco
There are, of course, other words for tobacco. Words such as Priem and Knaster are often used in a derogatory way. The term Kraut is also frequently used to describe tobacco in a rather disparaging manner.
Geographical Origin
The cultivation and consumption of tobacco leaves were already known in South and North America before the Europeans discovered the continent in 1492 with Columbus. Plant experts have found that the center of origin of tobacco lies in the Andes between Peru and Ecuador. There are about 75 species that belong to the genus Nicotiana, but only two varieties are significant for the tobacco production we so highly regard.
One of these is Virginia tobacco (lat. Nicotiana tabacum). This annual plant is native to South America and has a hairy stem with sticky glands. The stem grows egg-shaped, often foot-long leaves, which are later used in the production of cigars. Additionally, there is land tobacco, or farmer's tobacco (lat. Nicotiana rustica), which is also native to Peru.
Other interesting varieties by name include soldier's tobacco (lat. Nicotiana glutinosa), native to Peru, and virgin tobacco (lat. Nicotiana panienleta). The shrubby tobacco (lat. Nicotiana fructicosa) is said to come from China and the Cape of Good Hope. These tobacco plants differ only in the shape and color of their leaves.
Tobacco Consumption
Tobacco has been used throughout history for various purposes. The smoking of tobacco is said to have been first used by Native American priests or the Maya to induce a trance-like state. The Maya also used tobacco for ritual and spiritual purposes. Tobacco was either chewed, sniffed, drunk, used as eye drops, applied to the body, or even used for enemas.
In Europe, at the end of the 16th century, the tobacco plant was first used as a remedy in salves, pastes, and other solutions or tinctures. Among the effects appreciated were those on the mind and psyche, such as increased concentration, activation of life forces, and refreshing the senses. Tobacco cultivation in Europe began in the early 17th century. In the Netherlands, tobacco plants were first cultivated in 1615, in Germany in Suhl in the Henneberger Land in 1659, in the Mark Brandenburg in 1676, and by 1697 tobacco was also being cultivated in the Palatinate and Hesse.
By the 18th century, tobacco was primarily used as a recreational drug in Europe. However, it was mostly in the form of snuff, with 90% of consumption being snuff. The cigar originated in Spain in Europe. By 1720, over a thousand women were working in the cigar industry in Seville. Through the Napoleonic Wars in Spain, cigars were spread to other European countries by French and British soldiers. The cigar became the alternative to snuff tobacco for the bourgeoisie, which had been mostly used by the aristocracy at the time.
A fun anecdote to conclude, which also shows how society has changed over time. As early as the 16th and 17th centuries, there were prohibitions against tobacco. However, in the 1950s, smoking while driving was considered medically recommended, as nicotine was believed to keep drivers alert and contribute to road safety. The ADAC Motorwelt reported in 1952 on an English study that showed "drivers under the influence of nicotine were less likely to experience alcohol-related impairments in their driving performance" than without it. Smoking was seen as a safer way to drive while intoxicated. The ADAC saw one of its main tasks in "ensuring ongoing cooperation between tobacco and driver associations." (Source: "Tobacco and Drivers", ADAC Motorwelt, Munich, 5th year, issue 3, March 1952, page 6f.)
