Etymology Map
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Caddy

3 stages from Malay to English.

Today it means a small container for storing tea

Where does the word "caddy" come from? It comes from Malay kati, passing through English before entering English (1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
kati
Malay · medieval
"a unit of weight"
a trade weight of about 600 grams used across Southeast Asian ports; European merchants also used it for the matching Chinese unit, the jīn
2
Stage 2 of 3
catty
English · 1590s
"an Asian unit of weight"
the East India Company weighed Canton tea in catties and piculs (100 catties); Hong Kong law today still defines the catty as 604.79 grams
3
Stage 3 of 3
caddy
English · 1790s
"tea box"
a small box holding about a catty of tea; tea was so costly in the 1700s that caddies came with locks (golf's 'caddie' is unrelated, from French cadet)
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Read the full story

Caddy’s story begins in Malay: kati meant “a unit of weight.” A trade weight of about 600 grams used across Southeast Asian ports; European merchants also used it for the matching Chinese unit, the jīn. By 1590s, the word had taken hold in English as catty. The East India Company weighed Canton tea in catties and piculs (100 catties); Hong Kong law today still defines the catty as 604.79 grams. It reached English by 1790s as caddy. A small box holding about a catty of tea; tea was so costly in the 1700s that caddies came with locks (golf's 'caddie' is unrelated, from French cadet). Today, caddy means a small container for storing tea.