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Yaupon

2 stages from Catawban to English.

Today it means a holly shrub native to the southeastern U.S., one of the few North American plants that naturally produces caffeine, used to brew tea

Where does the word "yaupon" come from? It comes from Catawban yą́pą, adopted directly into English (1700s).

yą́pą→yaupon

Catawban · pre-1700s

"a small tree, or its leaf"

combined a word for 'tree' and 'leaf', naming a caffeinated holly shrub used for tea

English · 1700s

"a holly shrub whose leaves are brewed into a caffeinated tea"

adopted by English colonists in the southeastern U.S., who learned of the caffeinated tea from Native Americans

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