Definitions
Thea sinensis
Etymology
About
The character "荈" originated as an early Chinese term for tea, constructed with the grass radical (艹) to classify it as a plant and the component "舛" which primarily served a phonetic role in its formation. Its meaning initially encompassed tea broadly, but over centuries, it narrowed to specify late-harvested or coarse tea leaves, distinguishing it from other tea-related terms. While the traditional form "荈" remains unchanged, its usage declined as the character "茶" became the dominant and generic word for tea, relegating "荈" to historical or specialized textual references.