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11. “Tea” if by sea, “cha” if by Land: the history of tea, colonialism, and globalisation! (English Vocabulary Lesson)

Thinking in English

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Did They Say Cha or Cha?

The word Tea, like Cha, also has roots in China. It is written the same in all of the languages but pronounced differently in some. The Dutch became the main traders of Tea between Europe and Asia in the 17th century. Main Dutch ports in East Asia were in Fujian and Taiwan. And as I already mentioned, these two places did not say Cha, but instead said Tea. But how did this word spread around the world to reach West Africa and Europe? This is the part of the story involving colonialism. If your country first received Tea by sea, you'd probably say Tea or something similar.

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