茶引
Term · History
tea permit
Literal meaning
tea + permit
Definition#
Official permit sold to tea merchants stating the quantity and destination they may trade. Cai Jing's 1102 reform introduced short and long permits; under the Ming one permit covered 100 jin; the Qing generally kept 100 jin per 引, while Yunnan from 1735 counted 32 筒 to one 引. 引 thus names both the document and the quota unit.
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | tea permit merchant licence for a fixed amount of tea translation |
Also acceptable
|
| Deutsch | Teeschein Handelslizenz für eine Teemenge translation |
Also acceptable
|
| Русский | чайное разрешение грамота на торговлю определённым количеством чая translation |
Also acceptable
|
| 简体字繁體字 | 茶引 | |
| 日本語 | 茶引 |
Common confusions#
- On pu'er wrappers and in tax rules 引 is a quantity unit (e.g. 32 tongs), not only a paper.
- Babelcarp lists the homophone 茶瘾 cháyǐn, tea addiction.