Talk:Chinese community in Kolkata

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An entry from Chinese community in Kolkata appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know? column on 26 September 2006.

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I disagree with the assumption that the Bengali word for tea, "cha," if influenced from a Chiense Word. Firstly, the word for tea in Persian is "chaa'ey." I beieve that it is much more likely that "cha" comes from "chaa'ey" given the history of Persian language influence in South Asia. I believe an example that illustrates this point is that the word for tea in Pashtu is chaa'ey, chi in Hindi, and chaa'ey Urdu. Unless a reference can be provided for this statement, I move that it be remitted from this article.

Above unsigned remark by User:MathewAa

OED says the English slang char for tea is directly from Chinese. However the word has spread far and wide with the item (compare karaoke), so I'm not in favour of any mention here ascribing special linguistic influence to this community on that evidence. Incidentally, there is an article on chai. William Avery 20:55, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

That's an interesting point you make User:MathewAa. Suniti Chatterji in "The Origin and Devlopment of Bengali Language" (1926, University of Calcutta Press) mentions the word "cha" deriving from the Chinese word. The tea plant is indigenous to a region corresponding to Assam ([1]) state today which was part of Bengal Presidency until the first Partition of the state. It is also a wild native of China and northern Myanmar. Assam region is contiguous with China. In fact, if you see the tea article you'll notice that there are myths in China that tea-drinking actually originated in India. While I understand your concerns that the word might have come to Bengali in a roundabout way three things make one consider otherwise:

1. the lingusitic studies of S. Chatterji,
2. the geographical location of Bengal in proximity to China
3. that cha is not a Chinese-origin word in isolation; chini the Bengali word for sugar is derived from Chinese and unlike any other equivalent in other languages that are often derived from sharkara.

--Antorjal 22:26, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

So it would seem that chini (sugar) would be a more specific illustration to use than chai (tea). Readers with a knowledge of any one of many languages (see chai) will read the cha/chai example and say "Hang on, that's also the word in X, but not because of any special Chinese influence over the language." What is the Chinese word that it derives from? It doesn't sound like 糖. William Avery 07:21, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I agree. Updated. As far as the root word for chini, I think it might be in Chatterji's book. I'll try to look it up if I can get a hold of the unabridged original version. Thanks.--Antorjal 13:52, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

It sounds like you guys know your stuff. I have no problem leaving it the way it is as long as a reference can be added to the article. What do you guys think?