thee

Forms

thee m (plural theeën, diminutive theetje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Malay teh (“tea”), from Hokkien 茶 (tê).^[2][3][4][5] The WNT says the Dutch came to know tea in Bantam on Java and brought the word to western Europe early in the 17th century.^[6][7]

The northern Chinese form ⟨cha⟩ took another route, into Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish and Russian; from Portuguese came 16th- and 17th-century Dutch ⟨cha⟩ and ⟨chaa⟩ (1596), ⟨tsia⟩ (1646) and ⟨cià⟩ (1668).^[2][6][7][8] The spelling with ⟨th⟩ has no basis in the source: the EWN sees a Graecising spelling for a drink that was at first a mark of prestige, De Vries & De Tollenaere a way of marking it as exotic, and the WNT the influence of French thé; the WNT finds it already in Bontius and Tulp.^[2][7][6] The older spelling ⟨tee⟩ is now obsolete.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1637 tea (Tee) is said to be coming into use.^[2][6][9] De Vries & De Tollenaere date the word around 1620, and the WNT cites a Leiden inventory of about that year that lists tea leaves brought from Bantam in 1618 and tea sent from Japan.^[7][6]

Semantic evolution

By 1668 tea was an article of the East India Company's trade.^[6] As a drink it came into use in western Europe around the middle of the 17th century, at first among the well-to-do, who invited guests to tea, and it gradually became a popular drink.^[6] The spellings thé and thee appear in 1688.^[2] Tea in the afternoon before dinner followed English custom from about 1900.^[6] In football de thee is half-time.^[10][1]

Dutch spread the word in Europe: English tea appears in the 1650s as tay, tey or tee through Dutch, after an earlier chaa from Portuguese, and De Vries finds English forms from 1631.^[11][12] Through Dutch it also reached German Tee, French thé, and Danish, Norwegian and Swedish te;^[13][1] Afrikaans has tee.^[13][1]

Timeline

• 1637 – Tee is said to be coming into use.^[2][9]
• 1646 – In Japan visitors are offered tobacco and tsia.^[6]
• 1668 – Tea is named among the wares of the Zeeland chamber of the East India Company.^[6]
• 1688 – The spellings thé and thee are recorded.^[2]
• 1694 – Een casje met thé “a little box of tea”.^[6]
• c. 1900 – Afternoon tea comes in, after the English custom.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. tea, the drink made by pouring boiling water on dried leaves and letting them steep; also an infusion of other plants.^[10][14][1]
2. The dried leaves of the tea shrub, Camellia sinensis, or of other plants, used to make it.^[10][14]
3. Tea time; a visit or gathering where tea is served.^[14][1]
4. (sports) half-time, the break in a match.^[10][1]

Word family

• theepot
• theelepel
• theezakje
• theedoek
• theekop
• theeroos
• theeleut
• theemuts
• theelicht
• theehuis
• theeservies
• theevisite
• ijsthee
• kruidenthee
• muntthee

Related words

• English tea

Usage notes

Dat is niet mijn kopje thee “that is not my cup of tea” translates the English phrase.^[5][10] Dat is andere thee! means “that is something else!”.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
3. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
4. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
5. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
7. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 383
8. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
13. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ a b c Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
15. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme