thé French · revision 15676

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=1648, Guy Patin|origins=nan-hbl 茶}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /te/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''thé''' ''m'' (plural thés)^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Tay'' (1652–1653), ''tha'' and ''thé'' (1657); the spelling with ⟨th⟩ comes from New Latin.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It came through Dutch, about 1610, from a southern Chinese or Malay word:^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007) Wiktionary gives [[bor|nl|thee]], from [[nan-hbl|茶|tr=tê]];^(Wiktionary) Rey and the Grand Robert give the [[ms|teh]] or a southern Chinese dialect form ''t'e“ (Formosa),^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(FEW|20, 111b) and Bloch and Wartburg the Malay word alone.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The tea plant was brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company in 1606.^(DHLF 1992) Earlier, from 1607 until the end of the 17th century, French also used ”chia“ or ”tcha“, from Mandarin ”cha“, the form the Portuguese brought in 1559 and Italian ”cia'' (1589).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ [[en|tea]] has the same origin, and [[chaï]] is a doublet.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Guy Patin's letters (1648) mention ''thé'' as a Chinese plant brought into pharmacy;^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) Alexandre de Rhodes (1653) describes ''tay'', which the Chinese drink as an infusion of the leaves.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By 1657 ''thé'' named the drink, and Mme de Sévigné (1680) shows it taken for pleasure and for its medicinal virtues.^(TLFi) Varieties followed: ''thé impérial'' (1696), ''thé vert'', ''thé noir'' (1704).^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ From England came the meal or gathering at which tea is served (Prévost, 1751), and ''prendre le thé'' is in Diderot (1757).^(TLFi) Later came ''salon de thé'' “tearoom” (1923) and ''thé dansant'' “tea dance” (early 20th century).^(GLLF 1989) The teapot is a ''théière'' (1723).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1559 – Portuguese ''cha''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1606 – The Dutch bring tea to Europe.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1648 – ''Thé'' (Guy Patin).^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ * 1653 – ''Tay'' (Alexandre de Rhodes).^(TLFi)

+ * 1657 – The drink.^(TLFi)

+ * 1723 – ''Théière''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1751 – A tea party.^(TLFi)

+ * 1923 – ''Salon de thé''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|tea|alt=Tea]], the drink; the dried leaves: ''thé vert'', ''thé noir''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The tea plant.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(TLFi)

+ # A tea party or afternoon gathering: ''prendre le thé''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # An infusion of other plants: ''thé à la menthe''.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[théière]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[chaï]]

+ * [[en|tea]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}