Da
|da|
🇺🇸
/dɑ/
🇬🇧
/dɑː/
informal dad; (also) 'yes' (Russian)
Etymology
'Da' (informal for 'father') originates in English baby-talk/child language related to 'dad' and 'dada'.
'Da' developed from child-language forms like 'dada'/'dad' and became a dialectal/informal term for 'father' in varieties of English.
Initially a child-language vocative for a parent ('dada'/'dad'); over time it evolved into an informal dialect word for 'father' ('Da').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
informal or dialect word for 'father' or 'dad' (chiefly British and some regional dialects).
My Da is coming over this weekend.
Synonyms
Noun 2
abbreviation (D.A., DA) for 'district attorney' (chief prosecutor in many U.S. jurisdictions).
The Da declined to press charges in the case.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/20 06:03