"goodbye, farewell" in seven languages
Meaninggoodbye, farewell
Spanish
/aˈdjos/
inherited
The everyday goodbye in Spanish.
French
/adjø/
inherited
Now solemn ('farewell forever'), except in the south of France; everyday is au revoir.
Italian
/adˈdio/
inherited
Dramatic and final; everyday is arrivederci or ciao.
Portuguese
/aˈdews/
inherited
Adeus sounds final; day to day Brazilians say tchau (from Italian ciao).
Romanian
/la reveˈdere/
other source · Romanian re- + vedere 'seeing' (Latin VIDĒRE), a calque of French au revoir
Adio (from Italian addio) exists but is a farewell for good.
Catalan
/əˈdew/
inherited
English
/gʊdˈbaɪ/
native English · English 'God be with ye', contracted
Goodbye hides "God be with ye", the same blessing as adieu "to God".
The Latin ancestor
AD DEUM‘to God’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
All three commend you 'to God' (Spanish Dios keeps the nominative DEUS, the form heard in church). Only Spanish uses it every day; French adieu and Italian addio sound like parting forever.
English relatives: adieu; deity, divine
Learn it
In a sentence
- esNos dijo adiós.
- frElle nous a fait ses adieux.
- itCi ha detto addio.
- ptEla nos disse adeus.
- roNe-a spus la revedere.
- caEns va dir adéu.
- enShe said goodbye to us.