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

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
Look up hem or ahem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Throat clearing is a sound made at the back of the throat.[3] It is articulated as a single-syllable exclamation, written onomatopoeiacally as "hem";[4] or it may be articulated as a double-syllable sound, written as "ahem", which is expressed by inhaling slightly and then exhaling more forcibly. 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.[5]

Paralanguage

A deliberately executed throat clearing can be a nonverbal, paralingual form of metacommunication.[6] 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.[7]

References
  1. "Throat Clearing - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments". www.healthgrades.com. June 26, 2014.
  2. Campos, Marcelo (5 April 2022). "Constantly clearing your throat? Here's what to try". Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  3. "Clear your throat | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org.
  4. Nänny, Max; Fischer, Olga (1999). Form Miming Meaning: Iconicity in Language and Literature. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 9789027221797. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  5. Utterback, Ann S. (2000). Broadcast Voice Handbook (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: Bonus Books. p. 45. ISBN 978-1566251532. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. "ahem". Onomatopoeia List. August 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. 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.
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