Tea Came to Europe by Two Routes and Two Names
Teas are infusions of tea leaves. The world splits between calling it tea and calling it cha.
Teas are infusions made from the leaves of *Camellia sinensis*. The world's word for it divides almost perfectly by trade route. Countries supplied by sea from the Fujian coast use a form of *te*, the Min Chinese pronunciation: tea, thé, tè, Tee. Countries supplied overland along the Silk Road use a form of *cha*, the Mandarin and Cantonese pronunciation: chai, chay, shay. Portugal is the exception, using *chá* despite being a sea power, because it traded through Macau where Cantonese was spoken.
- Leaf infusions. *Herbal teas.*
- The plant. *Camellia sinensis.*
- Cha — the overland word. *Chai.*
- Te — the seaborne word. *Tea.*
- Min Chinese — *te*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tea | Tea. |
| Plural | teas | Teas. |
| Compound | teapot | A teapot. |
| Related | chai | Chai. |
| Chinese | cha | Tea. |
- They sell a range of teas.Plural.
- Chai comes overland.Route.
- Portugal says chá.Exception.
Tea or cha, by route
- Sea route from Fujian: tea, thé, Tee, tè, thee
- Land route via Central Asia: chai, chay, shay, cha
- Russian chai and Turkish çay came overland
- Portuguese chá is the exception, traded through Macau
- The map of the word is a map of the trade
From Min Chinese *te*, through Malay and Dutch; the *cha* forms come from Mandarin and Cantonese.
Why do some languages say chai and others tea?
It follows the trade route. Sea trade from Fujian spread te; overland trade along the Silk Road spread cha.
Why does Portuguese say chá?
Because Portugal traded through Macau, where Cantonese was spoken, rather than through the Fujian ports.