But ta-ta is indeed of British origin. The OED defines it as ” nursery expression for 'Good-bye'; now also in gen. colloq. use.” The earliest citation is from 1823, and a notable one can be found in T.S.
The Territorial Force (TF) was officially reconstituted in 1921 by the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 and renamed in October as the Territorial Army (TA).
Although possibly originating from the imitative of baby talk, this is in widespread use in the North of England and Wales as an informal "thanks" amongst adults. Used to express thanks. ETYMOLOGY: Baby-talk alteration of "thank you".
It's because we use the schwa when we speak. We often do this with function words (like articles, short prepositions - e.g. to or auxillary verbs), to create sentence stress so that the important contents words such as verbs and nouns come across more easily. It's the weak (or 'reduced') form [tə].
The Territorial Army, renamed the Army Reserve in 2013, is an army of volunteers which supports the British Army. Volunteer units have existed for centuries, but in 1908 they were merged to form the Territorial Force.
At the more casual end of the spectrum, for example, you have a word like 'ta', originally a childish form of 'thank you' (dating from the 18th century), but now commonly used as a straightforward colloquialism.
British Slang Cheers as an Expression of Gratitude and Appreciation. Beyond just saying "thank you," "cheers" can also convey a sense of genuine appreciation. For example, if a friend helps you move house or buys you a drink, a heartfelt "cheers, mate!" expresses more than just gratitude—it shows warmth and camaraderie ...
Meaning: A friendly, casual way of saying goodbye. Usage: As you're leaving a casual meet-up with friends, you might wave and cheerfully say, “Ta-ra, see you next time!”
Ta: Another way of saying “Thank you.” For example, “Ta for that Steve, I'll pay you back next week.” Also, “Ta” can mean goodbye. For example, “Ta-ta, see you later.”
Age Limit: The age limit for the Territorial Army is 18 to 42 years as on the last day of filing of application. Educational qualifications: A candidate for TA must be a graduate from any recognised university. No specialised educational background is required.
The Military Tuition Assistance (TA) program is an important quality of life program that provides tuition for college courses taken by active duty personnel during off-duty hours. TA is capped at $250 per semester hour (or $166 per quarter hour) and is restricted to a maximum of $4500 per fiscal year.
The expression “ta" has been common in the north of England and in Scotland for hundreds of years. It may derive from the Gaelic expression “tapadh leibh" which is used for thank you.
