Where does “چَای” come from?

چَای (Classical Persian) comes from Chinese 茶, from Proto-Loloish la¹, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la — leaf; tea; flat object.

Ancestry of “چَای”, step by step

چَای traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Chinese 茶

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese茶tea
2Proto-Loloishla¹tea
3Proto-Sino-Tibetans-laleaf; tea; flat object

via Chinese Mandarin 茶

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese Mandarin茶—

Words derived from “چَای”

Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la →Every word from Proto-Loloish la¹ →Every word from Chinese 茶 →