Where does “چای” come from?
چای (Ottoman Turkish) comes from Persian چای, from Hindi चाय, from Middle Chinese 茶, from Chinese 茶, from Proto-Loloish la¹, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan s-la — leaf; tea; flat object.
چای (Ottoman Turkish): tea; rivulet
Definitions
- tea; rivulet
Ancestry of “چای”, step by step
چای traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Persian چای
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persian | چای | tea |
| 2 | Hindi | चाय | tea; cup of tea |
| 3 | Middle Chinese | 茶 | — |
| 4 | Chinese | 茶 | tea |
| 5 | Proto-Loloish | la¹ | tea |
| 6 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | s-la | leaf; tea; flat object |
via Proto-Turkic čāj
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Turkic | čāj | — |
via Classical Persian چای
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Persian | چای | — |