奶茶 Origin — Dong Chinese Dictionary

nǎichá HSK3

milk tea

nǎi, nai milk

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 乃 represents the sound.

女 Meaning component

nǚ, nü woman

nǎi then

Depicts a woman standing sideways with her breasts protruding.

	Old Chinese
Zhengzhang	rneːlʔ

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 余 represents the sound.

艹 Meaning component

cao, cǎo grass

艹 is a component form of 艸.

余 Sound component

yú I

Change in sound

茶 and 余 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in Old Chinese.
茶 *lˤra
余 *la

	Middle Chinese	Old Chinese	Gloss
Baxter-Sagart	drae	lˤra	(name of a plant)