Reconstruction:Proto-Sino-Tibetan/s-la

Etymology

 * Proto-Sino-Tibetan: ?
 * (Matisoff, STEDT)

Cognate with, ; see there for more cognates.

This root is the eventual source of the words for "tea" in most non-Sino-Tibetan languages of the world, mostly borrowed from Chinese 茶. Two Chinese sources of borrowing are usually distinguished:
 * The affricativised varieties (e.g. Beijing Mandarin, Guangzhou Cantonese): which pronounce 茶 with an affricate initial.
 * The plosive varieties (e.g. Min Nan).
 * The plosive varieties (e.g. Min Nan).

The Chinese word might have originally been a loan from (Tibeto-Burman) *la ("leaf, tea"), as tea may have originated in  (historically Lolo-speaking area) (Sagart, 1999). Alternatively, Qiu (2000) suggests that it was a semantic extension from the root *la, which yielded, the name of a bitter plant (Sonchus oleraceus).

Additionally, also proposed an Austroasiatic origin for the Proto-Loloish word; as a similar-shaped etymon exists in 🇨🇬:  (ibid.) or  (Sidwell & Rau, 2015); compare also 🇨🇬 (Shorto, 2006: #230), (Modern Mon, Khmer , , Vietnamese.

More at on Wikipedia.

Noun

 * 1) leaf
 * 2) tea
 * 3) flat object

Descendants

 * (ZS), (B-S; unlisted, theoretical) (“bitter taste vegetable; weed; white flower; poison, harm; tea”)
 * Beijing:
 * Central Plains: ,
 * Jiaoliao:
 * Jilu: ,
 * Lanyin: ,
 * Lower Yangtze: ,
 * Northeastern:
 * Southwestern:
 * Chengdu:
 * Guiyang:
 * Kunming:
 * Wuhan:
 * Sichuanese: ,
 * Standard: ,
 * 
 * Guangzhou: ,
 * Hong Kong:
 * Nanning:
 * Taishanese: ,
 * Nanchang:
 * Sixian: ,
 * Taoyuan:
 * Min:
 * Jian'ou: ,
 * Fuzhounese: ,
 * Hainanese:
 * Taiwanese: ,
 * Zhangzhou: ,
 * Teochew: ,
 * Hangzhounese:
 * Suzhounese:
 * Wenzhounese:
 * Changsha:
 * Xiangtan:
 * , }
 * Lolo-Burmese:
 * Burmish:
 * Min:
 * Jian'ou: ,
 * Fuzhounese: ,
 * Hainanese:
 * Taiwanese: ,
 * Zhangzhou: ,
 * Teochew: ,
 * Hangzhounese:
 * Suzhounese:
 * Wenzhounese:
 * Changsha:
 * Xiangtan:
 * , }
 * Lolo-Burmese:
 * Burmish:
 * Taiwanese: ,
 * Zhangzhou: ,
 * Teochew: ,
 * Hangzhounese:
 * Suzhounese:
 * Wenzhounese:
 * Changsha:
 * Xiangtan:
 * , }
 * Lolo-Burmese:
 * Burmish:
 * , }
 * Lolo-Burmese:
 * Burmish:
 * Lolo-Burmese:
 * Burmish: