English word origin

Etymology of cha

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Tea, (sometimes dialect) specifically masala chai.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Chinese 茶 (chá), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la, via two routes: in some cases from Hindustani चा (cā) / چا (cā) (a variant of the same root, from Persian چا, which led to chai), from Northern Chinese; in other cases from 茶 (chá) /t͡sʰɑː²¹/, the pronunciation found in Canton (Guangzhou), where the British bought much of their tea in the 19th century. Doublet of tea, which is from the Amoy Min Nan pronunciation tê.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention茶zh
Derivation mention*s-lasit-pro
Derivation mentionچاfa
Doublet mentionteaen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "茶",
        "tr": "chá"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 茶 (chá)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sit-pro",
        "3": "*s-la"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "inc-hnd"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindustani"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fa",
        "3": "چا"
      },
      "expansion": "Persian چا"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tea"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of tea"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "茶",
      "茶#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "*s-la",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-la"
    ],
    [
      "चा",
      "चा#Hindi"
    ],
    [
      "چا",
      "چا#Urdu"
    ],
    [
      "چا",
      "چا#Persian"
    ],
    [
      "chai",
      "chai#English"
    ],
    [
      "茶",
      "茶#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "tea",
      "tea#English"
    ],
    [
      "tê",
      "tê#Min_Nan"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Tea, (sometimes dialect) specifically masala chai."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

particle

Used to count out steps, particularly involving the hip-shaking sections of rhythmic Latin dances.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From cha-cha (q.v.).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "cha-cha",
      "cha-cha#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "particle",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to count out steps, particularly involving the hip-shaking sections of rhythmic Latin dances."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the McCune-Reischauer romanization of Korean 자 (ja).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention자ko

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ko",
        "3": "자"
      },
      "expansion": "Korean 자 (ja)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "McCune-Reischauer",
      "McCune-Reischauer"
    ],
    [
      "자",
      "자#Korean"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "24868d78bd31961aba02a228fd8271592b59950287adbb0a178d6de138d7a61a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "23e5395ab3545f3bbafc5ef86c870e90f9269e8ddbc2e3fbf977e9b31111807f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 431680
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  ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of charisma.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of charisma.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "charisma"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of charisma"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "charisma",
      "charisma#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of charisma."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "uncountable",
        "usually"
      ],
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cha →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y2hh