teapoy

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pṓds“foot”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*tréyes“three”
3. Classical Persian · derived fromسه پای“tripod”
4. Sanskrit · derived fromत्रिपाद“tripod”
5. Urdu · borrowed fromتپائی“teapoy”
6. Hindi · borrowed fromतिपाई
7. English todayteapoy

PIE word *tréyes Borrowed from Hindi तिपाई (tipāī), Urdu تپائی (tipāi, “teapoy”), from a merger of Sanskrit त्रिपाद (tripāda, “tripod”) + Classical Persian سه پای (sih-pāy, “tripod”), with the spelling of the first element influenced by association with tea. Sanskrit त्रि (tri, “three”), the first element of त्रिपाद (tripāda), is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”); while Classical Persian پای (pây, “foot”), the second element of سه پای, is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pṓds (“foot”), from *ped- (“to step; to walk; to fall; to stumble”). Doublet of tripod, tripus, and tripos.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 1820s Originally, a three-legged decorative stand or table; now, especially, one with recesses for holding tea caddies and/or a tea service.