English borrowed the same Chinese word twice. Tea follows the Xiamen Chinese reading tê through Dutch thee. Chai belongs to the cha family, represented here by Northern Chinese chá, Persian čāy, and Hindi chāy. The card follows the documented borrowing routes. English chai here means spiced tea with milk.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, tea and chai; Online Etymology Dictionary, tea and chai; American Heritage Dictionary, chai; Encyclopaedia Iranica, čāy.

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Dates follow the earliest cited evidence for the form and sense shown. Notes name the sources. Timeline spacing is compressed; undated stages are placed in sequence.