Skip to content
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • custom-logo
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Learn

Tea, By Any Other Name

October 31, 2017February 6, 2022 1 comment
Tea, By Any Other Name

Tea is the word used to describe a beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant in many languages. In other parts of the world cha and chai are used instead. Have you ever wondered why that is? Chá, or 茶, is the word for tea in both Mandarin and Cantonese. Where it evolved from there had a lot to do with where we got our tea from.

Chá

The Portuguese were among the first Europeans to purchase tea in bulk from China. They primarily traded from the Cantonese-speaking port of Macao. Tibet, Mongolia, and Russia first encountered tea through caravans over land and so acquired the word chá in much the same fashion. This then evolved into chây or chai in many other languages spoken around the world. The Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza popularized tea drinking among England’s upper class after her marriage to King Charles II.

“Macao, View of Two Bays, ca. 1830” Unknown Chinese artist Peabody Essex Museum

Tea by Sea

Dutch traders, on the other hand, most likely encountered the word tê directly through merchants in Fujian Province. The port of Amoy (modern-day Xiamen) would have spoken the Amoy dialect of Southern Minnan Chinese at the time. It was the Dutch who first brought tea to England and even as far away as New Amsterdam, the colonial settlement that would eventually become New York. The Min derivative was retained even when England later began trading directly with Canton (modern-day Guangzhou).

View of Table Bay with ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), c. 1683.

Of course, there are always outliers that don’t seem to follow the same path as most other languages. The word for tea in Polish is herbata. It is believed to be a combination of the Latin herba (herb) and Chinese chá. Interestingly, the Polish word for tea kettle is czajnik. The pronunciation is quite similar to chai, though! In Burma, laphet can mean tea that is drunk as well as tea leaves that are pickled and eaten. The Chippewa, or Okibwe, word for tea is the seemingly completely unrelated aniibiishaaboo.

A note about chai: It does, in fact, mean tea. When we order chai tea at Starbucks, we’re technically asking for tea tea. The word has become synonymous with black tea blended with masala spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

Infographic created by Reddit user Bezbojnicul
GuideHistoryLanguageTea
About Nicole Wilson

About Nicole Wilson

Nicole Wilson is a tea writer and educator who has been sharing her love of the leaf online for more than a decade. Her website, TeaforMePlease.com, is the longest continuously running tea blog written by a female author. In 2018, she won the World Tea Award for Best Tea Blog. Every week you can expect to see reviews of specialty teas and related products, informative articles, reports on important events, and more.

Related Posts

20 of the Best Quotes About Tea
20 of the Best Quotes About Tea
All About the Tea Importation Act of 1897
All About the Tea Importation Act of 1897
4 Reasons Why Your Green Tea Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
4 Reasons Why Your Green Tea Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
7 of the Best Non-Fiction Books for Tea Lovers
7 of the Best Non-Fiction Books for Tea Lovers

Post navigation

Tea Nerd Dictionary: Mao Cha
Tea Nerd Dictionary: Heicha

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hey, there!

Hey, there!

Nicole Wilson. Tea Writer and Educator
Do you love to drink tea, but wish you knew more about it? I'm here to help! The world of specialty tea is massive so it can be a lot to take in. On this blog, you'll find over 1,000 articles and tea reviews to start your journey. I'm always happy to answer any questions you might have!

Help Support This Site

patreon

Get access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content, my private Discord server, surprise quarterly packages, and more!

My New Book!

My New Book!

Subscribe!

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for the latest blog posts, tea news, and more!

Categories

  • Connect
  • Learn
  • Sip
  • Sponsored
  • Testimonials
  • Travel

Archives

Instagram

Amazon Rec’s

Amazon Recommendations
  • Blog
    • Learn
    • Sip
    • Connect
    • Travel
  • Beginner’s Guide to Tea
  • Matcha
  • Puerh
  • Tea in NYC
  • Book
  • About Me
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Designed by Little Theme Shop