Where does “चाय” come from?
चाय (Hindi) comes from Middle Chinese 茶, from Chinese 茶, from Proto-Loloish la¹, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la — leaf; tea; flat object.
चाय (Hindi): tea; cup of tea
Ancestry of “चाय”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Chinese | 茶 | — |
| 2 | Chinese | 茶 | tea |
| 3 | Proto-Loloish | la¹ | tea |
| 4 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | s-la | leaf; tea; flat object |