Throat clearing
Throat clearing is forcibly, sometimes mutedly, expelling air from one's lungs, sometimes to clear mucus, sometimes to attract attention to something. It is less vigorous than coughing.
Cause[edit]
Throat clearing may be articulated consciously or unconsciously, and may be a symptom of a number of laryngopharyngeal (upper respiratory tract) ailments.[1] Occasionally the cause is a common cold or post-nasal drip. The nose dispatches mucus which is meant to assist clearing infections and allergens. Mucus which is thick is forced out with a throat clearing sound. Another cause is laryngopharyngeal reflux.[2]
Mechanism[edit]
Throat clearing is a sound made at the back of the throat.[3] The act of clearing the throat causes the folds in the throat to vibrate similar to a cough so it may be harmful if it is continuously practiced.[4]
Onomatopoeia[edit]
When the pressure is restricted with a closed mouth, as is common in polite society, the sound is articulated as a single-syllable exclamation, written onomatopoeiacally as "hem";[5] or it may be articulated as a double-syllable sound, written as "ahem", which is expressed by inhaling slightly and then exhaling more forcibly. An alternate onomatopoeia written "hock" or "hawk" (as in "to hock a loogie") represents the impolite sound of loudly expelling a bolus of sputum with an open mouth.[6]
Paralanguage[edit]
A deliberately executed throat clearing can be a nonverbal, paralingual form of metacommunication.[7] A loud, exaggerated throat-clearing noise may sometimes be used to get attention; as in the case of a parent signaling to a child that they should behave.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ "Throat Clearing - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments". www.healthgrades.com. June 26, 2014.
- ^ Campos, Marcelo (5 April 2022). "Constantly clearing your throat? Here's what to try". Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "Clear your throat | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org.
- ^ Utterback, Ann S. (2000). Broadcast Voice Handbook (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: Bonus Books. p. 45. ISBN 978-1566251532. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ Nänny, Max; Fischer, Olga (1999). Form Miming Meaning: Iconicity in Language and Literature. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 9789027221797. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Do You 'hock' or 'hawk' a loogie?". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ "ahem". Onomatopoeia List. August 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Nierenberg, Gerard I.; Calero, Henry H. (1994). How to Read a Person Like a Book. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. p. 102. ISBN 978-0671735579. Retrieved 8 June 2023.