Where does “charcloth” come from?
charcloth (English) comes from English char, from English cha, from Hindi चा, from Persian چا, from Chinese 茶, from Proto-Loloish la¹, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la — leaf; tea; flat object.
charcloth (English): A swatch of fabric made from vegetable fibre (such as linen or cotton) that has been converted via pyrolysis into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature, historically used as tinder
Definitions
- A swatch of fabric made from vegetable fibre (such as linen or cotton) that has been converted via pyrolysis into a slow-burning fuel of very low ignition temperature, historically used as tinder
Ancestry of “charcloth”, step by step
charcloth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English char
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | char | To burn something to charcoal; To burn slightly... |
| 2 | English | cha | tea, sometimes specifically masala chai; You;... |
| 3 | Hindi | चा | Alternative form of चाय |
| 4 | Persian | چا | tea |
| 5 | Chinese | 茶 | tea |
| 6 | Proto-Loloish | la¹ | tea |
| 7 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | s-la | leaf; tea; flat object |
via English cloth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cloth | A woven fabric such as used in dressing,... |
| 2 | Middle English | cloþ | Alternative form of cloth; cloth, garment |
| 3 | Old English | clāþ | cloth, clothes, covering, sail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klaiþą | cloth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleyt- | to cling to, cleave, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |