There there

Posted by Gary Martin on May 30, 2007

In Reply to: There there posted by R. Berg on May 27, 2007

: : : Where does the saying 'there there' come from, like what you say to someone when they are sad?

: : Previous discussion at:
: : www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 29 messages 874.html

: : Anyone have something to add to the above?

: The previous discussion at the link doesn't really answer the poster's question. Maybe no one knows why "There, there" is used in comforting. If I had to guess, I'd say the th- sound might be calming. It sounds soft, like a cushion. (Do speakers of languages with harsher consonants say the equivalent of "There, there"?) And the meaning of the word may ground comfortees by emphasizing their location in their bodies. ~rb

Exact reduplications like 'there, there' are often used in baby talk - 'choo-choo', wee-wee' etc. I'm not sure why.

• There there Smokey Stover 06/June/07