Tip of the Week #323: When Words Whisper Blessings

I’ve been fascinated by languages since I was 15, when my family moved to Germany. 

One of the things I love most is discovering the hidden stories inside everyday words.

Since Easter is tomorrow, I wanted to share one of the most surprising discoveries I’ve come across.

Turns out, when we say goodbye, we’re not just parting ways—we’re offering a blessing. 

The word goodbye actually comes from a much older phrase: God be with ye.  It first appeared in English around the 1300s. Over time, that phrase was shortened until it became the simple “goodbye” we know today.

And it’s not just English.

In Spanish, adiós comes from a Dios vos acomiendo—“I commend you to God.”

In French, adieu has similar roots, coming from à Dieu vous commant—also meaning “to God I commend you.”

Even though the French don’t use adieu as often anymore (it sounds a bit final), the idea is the same: when we say goodbye, we leave one another in God’s care.

Both the French and Spanish goodbyes come from Latin ad Deum, meaning to God. 

Even though the original meaning is all but forgotten, the idea of entrusting someone to God still echoes in many of our daily goodbyes.

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Almost every Saturday, I send out a Tip of the Week.  The tip of the week is usually something I have picked up along the way that may make your life a little easier.

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If you want a more professionally filmed Latin learning experience, check out the best-selling DVD series: Visual Latin.

Or, if you want to skip Latin, and just jump right into learning English words from Latin and Greek roots, you may enjoy the series Word Up!  Warning.   Word Up! is a bit wacky.  You will learn a lot… but, you may find yourself rolling your eyes, too.

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