What is original meaning of the word tea?

Most tea is grown in Asia and Chinese tea comes from China. Tea grows on a bush and only the top of the bush is harvested leaving the bottom branches alone. That means some tea plants are very old. The Chinese still prepare their tea leaves much the same way they did a thousand years ago. Small farmers grow and prepare the tea for sale and buyers come to deal with the Chinese government on the price. Some of the best tea in the world comes from China.