Here's what African and non-African languages call "honey wine." Africans have fermented honey into wine for millennia. But Ethiopians - with their more than 80 languages and 120 dialects - did it first, so tej is Africa's premiere honey wine. I welcome additions to the list.

Visit The T'ej Page
See the Ethiopian chart with the words for honey wine and honey

Non-Ethiopian
African Language

Honey
Wine

Country
(Language Family)

Moru

duma

Sudan
(Nilo-Saharan)

Banda-Banda

duma

Central African Republic
(Niger-Congo)

Sango

duma

Central African Republic (Creole, Ngbandi-based)

Dinka

dhum, dhumo

Sudan (Nilo-Saharan)

Gula

duma

Central African Republic
(Nilo-Saharan)

Zande, Lingala

duma/dumu

Democratic Republic of Congo (Niger-Congo)

Songo

quingundo

Democratic Republic of Congo (Bantu)

Luchazi

bingundo

Angola (Bantu)

Mbunda

migundo

Angola, Zambia
(Bantu)

Rwanda

funguro

Rwanda (Bantu)

Kikamba, Kikuya, Imenti

uki/uuki

Kenya (Bantu)

Xhosa

iQhilika

South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho (Bantu)

Kadaru (Kafir)

i-qilika

Sudan
(Nilo-Saharan)

Zulu

uhlobo
lotshwala
,
iwayini loju

South Africa (Bantu)

Maa
(the Maasai)

enaisho olotorok

Tanzania, Kenya (Nilo-Saharan)

Barbaig
(d. Datooga)

gesuda

Tanzania (Nilo-Saharan)

Swahili

mvinyo/pombe
ya asali

Tanzania (Niger-Congo)

Nyamwezi

wanzuki

Tanzania (Niger-Congo)

Zigula

wischa

Tanzania (Niger-Congo)

Wolof

sibah/sibarrh,
sibax

Senegal (Niger-Congo)

Pulaar Fulfulde

bese/besu, kokoni

Mali (Niger-Congo)

Bemba, Nkoya, Ndebele, Kaonde, Lamba

mbote/imbote

Zambia (Niger-Congo)

Lunda

kosolo/kasolu

Zambia (Niger-Congo)

Luvale

ndoka

Zambia (Niger-Congo)

Tswana

khadi

Botswana, others (Niger-Congo)

Nandi

kipketinik

Democratic Republic of Congo (Niger-Congo)

Nguni group

amambawu

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Swaziland (Bantu)

Tsonga

vhinya/wayeni
ya vulombe

South Africa, others (Niger-Congo)

Kirundi

ubuki

Burundi (Niger-Congo)

Mande group

liji, diji

Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali (Niger-Congo)

Ndogo

pili

Sudan (Niger-Congo)

Igbo

mmanya anyu

Nigeria (Niger-Congo)

Bamana
(Mande group)

diji, dikolen

Mali (Niger-Congo)

Dogon

bédji

Mali (Niger-Congo)

Mamara Senoufo

se cunahara

Mali (Niger-Congo)

Bomu

so

Mali (Niger-Congo)

Nyanja

kachasu

Malawi (Niger-Congo)

Bobo

básè

Burkina Faso
(Niger-Congo)

Baka

njambu

Cameroon (Niger-Congo)

Kxoe

dini-caca

Namibia (Khosian)

Boni

bo'or

Tanzania (Cushitic)

Bedawi

adarha

Sudan (Cushitic)

Dahalo

mola

Kenya (Cushitic)

Non-African
Language

Honey Wine

Country
(Language Family)

Japanese


hachimitsu sake

Japan
(Japanese)

Chinese
(Mandarin, Cantonese)


mì jiû, mat zau

China, Taiwan
(Sino-Tibetan)

Vietnamese

Vietnam
(Austro-Asiatic)

Hieroglyphics


(to drink, or to drink oneself drunk - from a book by Legesse Allyn)

Ancient Egypt

Korean


kkul sul

Korea
(Korean)

Hebrew


temad

Israel
(Semitic)

Arabic


nabidh

Many countries
(Semitic)

English

mead, hydromel

Many countries
(Indo-European)

Spanish

aguamiel

Spain, others
(Indo-European)

Portuguese

hidromel

Portugal, Brazil
(Indo-European)

Hungarian

mézbor

Hungary
(Uralic)

Polish

miòd

Poland
(Indo-European)

Danish/Norwegian

mjød

Denmark/Norway
(Indo-European)

Swedish

mjöd

Sweden
(Indo-European)

Welsh

meddeglyn, myddyglyn

Wales
(Indo-European)

Tagalog

idromel, agwamyel

Philippines
(Austronesian)

Greek


ydromeli

Greece
(Indo-European)

Sanskrit


madhu

India
(Indo-European)

Russian


myedovukzha

Russia
(Indo-European)

Swedish

mjöd

Sweden
(Indo-European)

Icelandic

Iceland
(Indo-European)

Lithuanian

midus

Lithuania
(Indo-European)

Finnish

sima

Finland
(Uralic)

Indonesian

padang rumput

Indonesia
(Austronesian)

Mayan

balche

Mexico,
Central America
(Mayan)

Cheyenne

hahnomâhep-
ano'êhaseo'o tseve'keeno'e

U.S.A.
(Algic)