Published on 2026-08-31

All languages use either cha or tea to name the drink

The word for tea is pronounced chá in Mandarin but te in Fujian, two variants that spread across the planet. The chá form spread through Portuguese trade and Central Asia, giving the Russian tchaï or the Hindi chaï. The te variant was brought back by Dutch merchants in the 17th century, influencing the English tea and the French thé.
ThéÉtymologie

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