ta ta
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Alternative spellings
[edit] Etymology
Probably derived from baby talk c1823 (imitative)
Possibly a shortened form of “hakuna matata,” a now well known Swahili phrase for “there are no worries.” Swahili being one of the languages spoken in several countries making up the area that became known as British East Africa.
British and European military, explorers, merchants and missionaries were in the region in the 1800’s and much earlier. According to Grant Sinclair, Sultan Seyyid Said “asked the British for aid in 1822. Two British survey ships came in 1824...” Certainly there were previous contacts and some British presence in the region allowing the request to be made.
Link to Grant Sinclair site: [1]
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Interjection
ta ta
- informal: goodbye
- 1923, Ed Smith of Cranbrook Courier, Reminiscences of Kootenay Pioneers (recalling an event claimed to be the origin of the place name Ta Ta Creek recorded in 1900; viewed in British Columbia archives at [2]) - Red put the spurs to his horse and galloped away: "Ta ta, friends, I've business up the trail."
- 2006, Daily Flute (blog) read at [3] on 13 May 2006, Ta ta - I’m going to stop blogging, probably for good.
