Where does “cha” come from?
Cha comes from Chinese 茶, which derives from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la, ultimately traced to Middle Korean 箸.
cha (English): tea, sometimes specifically masala chai; You;...
Definitions
- tea, sometimes specifically masala chai; You;...
Ancestry of “cha”, step by step
cha traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Hindi चा
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Hindi | चा | Alternative form of चाय |
| 2 | Persian | چا | tea |
| 3 | Chinese | 茶 | tea |
| 4 | Proto-Loloish | la¹ | tea |
| 5 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | s-la | leaf; tea; flat object |
via Korean 자
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Korean | 자 | letter, character; a person; 10 |
| 2 | Chinese | 者 | — |
via English cha-cha
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cha-cha | A ballroom dance to a Latin American rhythm; The... |
| 2 | Spanish | cha-cha | — |