цай

From Chinese 茶 (chá).

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sai/

цай • (tsaj) (Mongolian spelling ᠴᠠᠢ (čai))

1. tea

• цайны газар (tsajny gazar, “café”)

• IPA^(key): [t͡sɑi̯], [tˢɑɪ̯]

Presumably from Old Turkic [script needed] (tāɣ/tau), from Proto-Turkic *tāu, *tāɣ, *dāɣ (“mountain”), *dāg (“mountain”).

• тай (tay), тағ (taғ), таг (tag), дай (day), даг (dag)

цай • (cay)

1. mountain

The voiceless form (ц or т) appear more common in southern and southeastern dialects. Dialectal variation in Altai is large so it is possible confusion may arise, however, context will resolve the clarity.

Ultimately, from Sinitic 茶. Compare Turkish çay, Russian чай (čaj), Erzya цяй (cjaj). Some folk etymology links it to Tibetan ཚྭའི (tshwa'i, “salt”) because of the traditional salty tea, but no evidence supports this.

цай • (cay)

1. tea

Traditionally it has included salty tea, but in modern use often not.

From Proto-Turkic *čāj.

цай • (cay)

1. river, stream