Is there a word for using a word twice to imply something different? [duplicate]
Solution 1:
The doubling of a word is known as reduplication.
De Gruyter says that it is artificial to try to distinguish intensification ('a little, little grave') and attestation to the genuineness / prototypicality of an article ('coffee coffee'; 'the Woman woman' [from 'Sherlock']) so this word covers both cases. A little, little grave is a truly little grave; coffee coffee is the real thing.
Solution 2:
Doubling comes to mind.
And it is not limited to individual words, as my first and last examples below show. In addition, the repetition does not imply something different, it states it, emphatically.
The effect is to mean "really/truly" or "real/true." So the repeated word or phrase emphasis its authenticity.
Real-life examples I've heard:
At a drive through window:
One server: You need the coke right now?
Second server: I need one right now right now. ("right now," "really" right now, immediately, not two minutes from now)
In my parking lot:
Neighbor 1: Are y'all leaving now or now now?
Neighbor 2: We're leaving now now. (really and truly now, immediately, not three hours from now, not after we finish packing; we've done all that and we are ready and set to depart--any minute).
Other examples:
We live in the country.
The country or the country country?
The country country, the real country, where the cows graze and the stars shine bright, and you'll be lucky to have cellular phone service.
Is she your girl friend or your girl friend girl friend? (Is she somewhat of a girl friend (e.g., a female friend) or is she someone who is actually, truly, really, a bona fides girl friend.