IN GREEK
τσάι
tsai
tea
IN TURKISH
çay
çay
tea
WEAR THE WORD
τσάι in blue ink and çay in red, on a T shirt, a tote or a mug.
THE RECORD
- LENT BY, BORROWED BY
- Turkish to Greek
- STARTED IN
- Chinese
- CATEGORY
- Food
- NOTES
- From Chinese chá through Persian chāy. Greek received the word through Turkish.
COMMENTS
An editor reads every comment before it appears.
SOURCES
- Nişanyan Sözlük (checked online)
Etymologies are checked against the dictionaries and studies listed. An entry is stamped settled only when both the Greek and the Turkish side have been checked. Research for this ledger was compiled with AI assistance and reviewed by the editors.
HOW TO CITE THIS ENTRY
Gold, K. (ed.) (2026) ‘τσάι / çay’, entry 085, Defter ή Tefteri: a ledger of shared Greek and Turkish words. https://defteritefteri.com/en/w/085-tsai/. Accessed [day month year].