Adios, arrivederci, au revoir, shalom, ciao, goodbye.
All of them say goodbye, but they say much, much more…
Hey, I just started this article, and I also want to say much, much more. In most languages, including English, each of these words had various meanings and or translations.
Goodbye in English defined the word as someone departing or something.
Goodbye in French: Au Revoir and Adieu
A person says as people are leaving. Besides, when correctly spelled ‘goodbye,’ one word, not two, and with an e at the end. It’s origin from the 16th century, was goodbye which was a contraction of the phrase, God be with ye. How utterly drab and so old fashioned. Now that I am older, I wanted to become more professional and mature; goodbye was good enough.
A couple of foreign examples were, in French, Au Revoir is defined as we each see each other again. On the other hand, Adieu was seldom used in regular speech and is often used for formal occasions. Besides, Au Revoir was told when we expect to be in the other person’s presence in the latter part of the day or foreseeable future. At the same time, Adieu is the expression of choice for strong possibilities, e.g., never to be seen again, like moving to another country or attending a funeral.
Shalom: A Hebrew Farewell
Also, Shalom was a Hebrew word that meant peace, harmony, wholeness,
completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. Again, not literally, Shalom was defined as hello and goodbye. A better word for goodbye was what follows, elehiatroit, pronounced (lee-hee-trah-out), defined as see you soon. Over time this word might become commonplace and used more frequently around the world. When we practiced the term’s saying, it might get more comfortable, and we can use the word now.
The Absence of Goodbye Courses
One day, I looked through the adult education catalog of my alma mater, Long Island University Post, but it wasn’t there. No courses on the steps of saying goodbye. Rummaging through the pages several times, with no success, I searched in the course bulletin. Again, I came up empty with my search. After a few exhausting research days, I finally gave up as there was no college curriculum on correctly stating goodbye.
Goodbyes During the Holiday Season
As last month was December and the holidays were upon us, we had a few opportunities to say goodbye, one way or another. Various Christmas and Chanukah Songs have a form of goodbye in their lyrics or their overall sentimental meaning. Furthermore, as the year 2020 came to a winding and screeching halt, it became the last opportunity of the year to say goodbye or farewells to our family and friends.
Auld Lang Syne: A Scottish Farewell Tradition
Auld Lang Syne, a Scottish-language poem from the 1780s by Robert Burns and set to the tune of a traditional Scottish folk song, is significant here. It does describe goodbye differently. Due to the Scottish text, most Americans never heard of the song or its poem predecessor. Translated to be Old Long Since, which is “days gone by.” Also, Auld Lang Syne has a drinking and consequently singing the song, which means, “Let’s drink to the days gone by.” Now often used as a New Year’s Eve song to ring in each year and say goodbye to the previous year.
Farewells Across Cultures
Like in all these languages and customs, there are many different ways to express one’s goodbye. Remember the spelling in English. A single word with an e at the end. At the end of most articles, I say goodbye to my significant other, Maureen. Of course, it will happen here, too. Did anyone think differently? Sweetie, I love you, I miss you, and I still wish you were here.
See you in the news blogs.
Author Info:
Howard Diamond
Certified Peer Specialist from Long Island.
