cha

See also: Appendix:Variations of "cha"

Languages (30)

Translingual • English

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Alemannic German • Atong (India) • Chichewa • Gullah • Irish • Japanese • Kapampangan • Lower Sorbian • Malay • Mandarin • Manx • Navajo • Pacoh • Pali • Pipil • Romansch • Scottish Gaelic • Spanish • Swahili • Swazi • Tagalog • Vietnamese • Welsh • Western Apache • Woleaian • Ye'kwana • Zacatepec Chatino • Zulu

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Page categories

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English and Chamorro Chamorro.

Symbol

cha

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Chamorro.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Chamorro terms

English

Etymology 1

From Chinese 茶 (chá), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la, via two routes: in some cases from Hindustani चा (cā) / چا (cā) (a variant of the same root, from Persian چا, which led to chai), from Northern Chinese; in other cases from 茶 (chá) /t͡sʰɑː²¹/, the pronunciation found in Canton (Guangzhou), where the British bought much of their tea in the 19th century. Doublet of tea, which is from the Amoy Min Nan pronunciation tê.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɑː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

Noun

cha (uncountable)

1. tea, (sometimes dialect) specifically masala chai

   Would you like a cup of cha?

   • 1934 August 4, George Herriman, Krazy Kat, Saturday, comic strip, →ISBN, page 206:

     [Krazy Kat, bringing a full tray:] Look, folkses – hot dogs, hot cha, hot peppa pots, hot timollies – hot kuffy. ^[sic]

Synonyms

• tea

Derived terms

• chasericulture

Related terms

• chai
• char
• chaw

Etymology 2

Pronunciation spelling of you, especially when preceded by a t sound.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃʌ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌ

Pronoun

cha

1. (dialectal, nonstandard) You.
   • 1976, Flying Magazine, page 34:

     You mean you can't fly after you've had a few beers? You can drive, can't cha?

   • 2005, Busta Rhymes, CeeLo Green, “Don't Cha”, performed by Pussycat Dolls:

     Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?

   • 2008, Barbara L. Jent, The Weddin' Day, Barbara Jent, →ISBN, page 157:

     “You'll be ridin' with us, won't cha, Josh?”

Derived terms

• dincha
• doncha
• gotcha

Etymology 3

From cha-cha (q.v.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɑː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

Particle

cha

1. (dance) Used to count out steps, particularly involving the hip-shaking sections of rhythmic Latin dances

   One–two–cha–cha–cha
   Three–four–cha–cha–cha

Derived terms

• ha-cha-cha

Etymology 4

From the McCune-Reischauer romanization of Korean 자 (ja).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃɑː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː

Noun

cha (plural chas or cha)

1. (Korean units of measure) Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm.

See also

• cha chaan teng

Anagrams

• ACH, CAH, HAC, HCA, ach, cah

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• cheemen, cheme, cho, chomu, choo, chéeme

Etymology

From Old High German kweman, chuman, from Proto-Germanic *kwemaną. Cognate with German kommen, Dutch komen, English come, Icelandic koma, Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (qiman).

Verb

cha

1. (Uri) to come

Conjugation

Conjugation of cha – Urner dialect

infinitive		cha
past participle		cha
		singular			plural
		1st	2nd	3rd	1st	2nd	3rd
		ich, i	du	er/si/es	mir	ir	si
indicative	present	chuume	chunsch	chunt	chemme	chemmet	chemme
subjunctive	present	chemm, chemmi	chemmesch	chemm, chemmi	chemme	chemmet	chemme
	past	chëm, chëmi, chëmt, chëmti, chiem, chiemi	chëmesch, chëmtesch, chiemesch	chëm, chëmi, chëmt, chëmti, chiem, chiemi	chëme, chëmte, chieme	chëmet, chëmtet, chieme	chëme, chëmte, chieme
imperative	affirmative	—	chu	—	—	chemmet	—

Derived terms

• ubercha

References

• Abegg, Emil, (1911) Die Mundart von Urseren (Beiträge zur Schweizerdeutschen Grammatik. IV.) [The Dialect of Urseren], Frauenfeld, Switzerland: Huber & Co., page 86.

Atong (India)

Alternative forms

• char

Etymology

From Hindi चार (cār).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ɕa/

Numeral

cha (Bengali script চা)

1. four

Synonyms

• byryi
• por

References

• van Breugel, Seino. 2015. Atong-English dictionary, second edition. Available online: https://www.academia.edu/487044/Atong_English_Dictionary. Stated in Appendix 3.

Chichewa

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Bantu *-kéa (“to dawn - zone N”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃa/

Verb

-cha (infinitive kuchá)

1. to dawn
2. to mature, ripen (fruit)

Derived terms

• Verbal derivations:
  • Causative: -cheza
  • Negative: -sacha
  • Passive: -chedwa

References

• Steven Paas (2016), Oxford Chichewa-English/English - Chichewa Dictionary‎, Oxford University Press, page 35

Gullah

Etymology 1

From Yoruba ja ("to fight, strive").

Alternative forms

• 'cha, ja, chacha, jaja

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɟɑ/, /t͡ʃɑ/, /d͡ʒɑ/, /t͡ʃɑ.t͡ʃɑ/

Verb

cha

1. quarrel

Usage notes

• It is common for this verb to be reduplicated for grammatical purposes.

Etymology 2

From English you.

Alternative forms

• chuh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃə/, /t͡ʃʌ/

Pronoun

cha

1. (grammar) you

References

• Lorenzo Dow Turner, Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect (1969)