# Etymology of the word "ta" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309 "2005-12-06T05:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/1 "2005-12-06T05:12:08Z")
As in “thank you”. Where did it originate? And is it a fairly new term, seeing as how presumeably the american colonists did not use it (at least, i’ve never heard anyone from NA say ta)? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/2 "2005-12-06T05:16:56Z")
[Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ta) says that it simply mimics baby talk. The OED agrees, although I can’t provide an online cite, since I accessed it through my university. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/3 "2005-12-06T05:17:23Z")
I’ve only heard it in Australia. Is it common in Britain? I sort of assumed it was of Scandinavian orgin (shorf for _tak_), but then how would it end up in Australia…? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/4 "2005-12-06T05:27:33Z")
**T** hanks, **a** wfully? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/5 "2005-12-06T06:25:11Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I’ve only heard it in Australia. Is it common in Britain? > > I sort of assumed it was of Scandinavian orgin (shorf for _tak_), but then how would it end up in Australia…? Pretty common over here, yes. So that’d suggest it became widespread before the 1900’s or so. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/6 "2005-12-06T10:09:49Z")
. . . although “ta-ta” for “goodbye” is rarely heard these days except when foreign films and TV try to be English. Northerners do still actually say “ta-ra”, though. I suppose neither is in any way remotely related to “ta” for “thanks”. So why have I mentioned them? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/7 "2005-12-06T10:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Northerners do still actually say “ta-ra”, though. We do? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/8 "2005-12-06T10:41:01Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I’ve only heard it in Australia. Is it common in Britain? > > I sort of assumed it was of Scandinavian orgin (shorf for _tak_), but then how would it end up in Australia…? Doesn’t “tak” mean “yes” though? ---
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/9 "2005-12-06T10:59:10Z")
I’ve heard “ta-ra” from Welsh people pretty often. I’m not sure about it being a Northern thing, but for some reason I can hear Cilla Black saying it in my head - maybe Liverpudlians specifically use it. I use “ta” all the time myself, but I’ve never really thought about where it comes from. I’d guess the etymology is similar to “hi” in that it’s just the original word shortened to the extreme. “Thank you” =\> “Thanks” =\> (“Tha”) =\> “Ta”. I put “Tha” in brackets because no-one actually says that, but it seems to be a missing link of sorts. ---
**Author:** ![grey\_ideas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@grey\_ideas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grey_ideas)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/10 "2005-12-06T11:52:08Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > Doesn’t “tak” mean “yes” though? Nope, ‘tak’ is definitely ‘thank you’. Ja = Yes Nej = No And I’ve never heard a Scandinavian use ‘ta’ as a shortening for ‘tak’. It’s more common in Denmark for it to be extended into ‘takker’ if anything. I’d always thought ‘ta’ was a British thing since I’d never heard any other nationalities using it, more of a Northern thing in my mind too. With ‘cheers’ being the more Southern…but that’s purely anecdotal. grey\_ideas ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/11 "2005-12-06T12:11:48Z")
> [@Dominic Mulligan](#): > > We do? :dubious: Well, when I lived in Stockport & worked in Manchester in the mid-90s, almost everyone from whom I departed used to say it. Or were they just having me on because I was a foreigner? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/12 "2005-12-06T12:22:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, when I lived in Stockport & worked in Manchester in the mid-90s, almost everyone from whom I departed used to say it. Or were they just having me on because I was a foreigner? Possibly, or it could be specific to Manchester. In my experience, it isn’t common in Wigan / Bolton, except amongst the very old, but then they nearly speak a different language anyway 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/13 "2005-12-06T13:03:27Z")
Peter Scaeffer used it in his play **Amadeus** , where it confused me, an American, migtily. I’d never heard it before, although I’ve since noticed it in many places and finally figured the meaning out from context. The only meaning it seems to have is “thank you”, so the drivation from a word meaning “yes” wouldn’t seem likely, although stranger things have happened. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/14 "2005-12-06T16:28:19Z")
English people say “ta” for thank you? As an American, I’ve only heard it used to mean a sarcastic goodbye. “Like, ta, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/15 "2005-12-06T17:01:05Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > English people say “ta” for thank you? As an American, I’ve only heard it used to mean a sarcastic goodbye. “Like, ta, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” I’ve never heard “ta” used in that context, though I’ve certainly heard “ta-ta” used that way. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/16 "2005-12-06T17:09:13Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > Pretty common over here, yes. So that’d suggest it became widespread before the 1900’s or so. I guess so. It’s very common in Australia, but I wonder if it’s a regional thing in the UK. If it’s more common in the east, then maybe it is a leftover from the Scandinavian influence, and is a shortened version of _tak_. Still, that’s probably reaching… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/17 "2005-12-06T19:05:45Z")
On Keeping Up Appearances, Onslow says 'Ta" when somebody gives him a fag. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/18 "2005-12-06T19:13:12Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > On Keeping Up Appearances, Onslow says 'Ta" when somebody gives him a fag. Now, that’s an entirely different thread! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/19 "2005-12-06T21:01:39Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > It’s very common in Australia I’d say that \*very common \* is overstating it a bit. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309/20 "2005-12-06T21:34:13Z")
> [@grey\_ideas](#): > > I’d always thought ‘ta’ was a British thing since I’d never heard any other nationalities using it, more of a Northern thing in my mind too. With ‘cheers’ being the more Southern…but that’s purely anecdotal. I’m pretty sure this regional divide is correct. I _think_ I grew up saying ‘cheers’, and adopted ‘ta’ during my exile oop north. Back home for a couple of years, and I’m definitely back to ‘cheers’. > [@John Mace](#): > > I wonder if it’s a regional thing in the UK. If it’s more common in the east, then maybe it is a leftover from the Scandinavian influence A Scandinavian influence will show up in the North (both east and west) rather than throughout the east. We’re pure Saxon territory here 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-the-word-ta/334309.md?page=2)