da
A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune or indicating a rhythm.
Article
- Pronunciation spelling of the.
- Da New York Times
- Da Bears
- "So I catch you. You stealer! Ho! Ho!" He seized the girl's wrist. "No, no, you don't run. Hey! Where is-a da cop?" - 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 11:
Origin
Representing pronunciation of the in informal speech.
Related
Interjection Russianism, slang
- Yes.
Origin
Borrowed from Russian да (da, “yes”). Doublet of too.
Antonyms
Interjection Entry 3
- A meaningless syllable used when singing a tune or indicating a rhythm.
- You know that tune that goes "da da da di-dum di-dum"?
Origin
Imitative.
Noun Ireland, Northern England
- Father.
- “Dear, but you're like your grandmother!” she continued, patting the little girl's head. “Many a penny's worth I sold to your da, when he was weer than you are.” - 1924, Louis Joseph Walsh, “Yellow Man”, in Twilight...
- Oh where is yer da son? The man said it to me and was grumpy. Is yer da here? - 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin 2009, page 55:
- Once the silky gent who ran a barge called the Knuckle Sandwich tried to persuade Borglum's ma and da to sell him their little dwarfish boy for twelve gold coins. - 2011, Philip Reeve, Scrivener's Moon, Scholastic,...
Related: da'
Origin
From child language; compare dad and dada.
Forms
Synonyms
Noun Russianism, slang
- Yes; an affirmative response.