Where does “chai” come from?
chai (Swahili) 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.
chai (Swahili): tea; breakfast; a bribe
Definitions
- tea; breakfast; a bribe
Ancestry of “chai”, step by step
chai traces back through two 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 Classical Persian چای
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Persian | چای | — |