#65244
04/12/2002 12:26 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
I heard an English lady say this and was confused as to where exactly the usage comes from. At an American cafe I know they have 'chai tea' on the menu, and in Turkey 'chai' is the word for tea, which I guess is related to 'cha'. What about other languages? The English 'tea' seems to come from China. Which came first though, 'tea' or 'chai'?
[boiling kettle]
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#65245
04/12/2002 12:35 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Several sites seem to say that "cha" is Japanese for tea.
China is the homeland of tea. It is believed that China has tea-shrubs as early as five to six thousand years ago, and human cultivation of teaplants dates back two thousand years. Tea from China, along with her silk and porcelain, began to be known the world over more than a thousand years ago and has since always been an important Chinese export. At present more than forty countries in the world grow tea with Asian countries producing 90% of the world's total output. All tea trees in other countries have their origin directly or indirectly in China. The word for tea leaves or tea as a drink in many countries are derivatives from the Chinese character "cha." The Russians call it "cha'i", which sounds like "chaye" (tea leaves) as it is pronounced in northern China, and the English word "tea" sounds similar to the pronunciation of its counterpart in Xiamen (Amoy). The Japanese character for tea is written exactly the same as it is in Chinese, though pronounced with a slight difference. The habit of tea drinking spread to Japan in the 6th century, but it was not introduced to Europe and America till the 17th and 18th centuries. Now the number of tea drinkers in the world is legion and is still on the increase.
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#65246
04/12/2002 12:36 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409 |
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#65247
04/12/2002 12:57 AM
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 688
addict
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addict
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 688 |
At an American cafe I know they have 'chai tea' on the menu...
So, is it correct to relax with a cup of chai tea after your Tai Chi class?
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#65248
04/12/2002 1:24 AM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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chai teaWasn't there once a movie called Chai tea, Chai tea, Bang Bang?  [yes...sorry..I'm going-e]Your Happy Epeolatrist!
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#65249
04/12/2002 7:11 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 45
newbie
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newbie
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 45 |
close wwh - I did Japanese at high school, and as far as I recall the word for "tea" is ocha. Maybe it is colloquially shortened to cha.
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#65250
04/12/2002 8:10 AM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 144
member
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member
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 144 |
it definitely is in Britslang, but with an added 'r' - although it had it's origins in the working classes and is now fairly outdated: 'do ya fancy a cuppa char?
This also got extended to refer to the daily help who was sometimes called the 'char-lady'. P'raps that was 'cause they were notorious for drinking tea all day instead of working ;-)
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#65251
04/12/2002 11:58 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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What are Chindits, please?
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#65252
04/12/2002 12:24 PM
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
My wife (Chinese) used to ask me, "Ni yo CHA ma?"
Would you like some tea?
k
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#65253
04/12/2002 1:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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MagWeb The Frontline: Chindits of WWII Burma: Allied Guerillas: ...
... Indian Infantry Division.' THE CHINDITS WERE OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS ... a British officer
and Burma rifles ( Karen and Kachin ... Back to WWII Articles Table of Contents ...
http://www.magweb.com/sample/sfront/sfr11chi.htm
More Results From: www.magweb.com
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#65254
04/12/2002 1:13 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In Portuguese it's also cha.
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#65255
04/23/2002 4:51 AM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
The modern Eng. form, along with Fr. the, Sp. te, Ger. Tee, etc., derive via Du. thee from the Amoy form, reflecting the role of the Dutch as the chief importers of the leaves (through the Dutch East India Company, from 1610).
Presumably also leading to Indonesian teh.
Bingley
Bingley
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