tay

tay · noun¹

Spelling form indicating original pronunciation of tea. The digraph ea represented /ɛː/ in Early Modern English; it later merged chiefly with ee, but regionally or sporadically with ay (in standard English break, great, steak). Compare the song Polly put the kettle on, where tea rhymes with away.

Tay · proper noun²

1. Proto-Brythonic · derived fromTausa“silent, strong, or flowing”
2. English todayTay

Possibly from Proto-Brythonic Tausa (“silent, strong, or flowing”).

Tay · proper noun³

Borrowed from Hokkien 鄭／郑 (Tēⁿ), Teochew 鄭／郑 (dên7), Hokkien 戴 (Tè), or a variant of the English surname Tee.

Tay · proper noun⁴

Clipping of Taylor.