TIL a family in Georgia claimed to have passed down a song in an unknown language from the time of their enslavement; scientists identified the song as a genuine West African funeral song in the Mende language that had survived multiple transmissions from mother to daughter over multiple centuries (x)
The countries that got tea via China
through the Silk Road (land) referred to it in various forms of the word
“cha”. On the other hand, the countries that traded with China via sea -
through the Min Tan port called it in different forms of “te”.
I liked this so much I became curious… and it checks out! The explanation lies, unsurprisingly, in who was interacting with whom in early modern long-distance trade.
