Hi there world wide
Whereas the English language settled on “howdy” as its customary greeting, different languages solid their very own. Some have been influenced by English, others developed independently – but every carries a definite cultural flavour, hinting on the social norms and stereotypes we’ve got of the individuals who use it.
In Germanic and Scandinavian languages, for instance, “hallo” and “hallå” are phonetically more durable and really feel extra environment friendly and no-nonsense than the lyrical, nearly poetic high quality of “hola” and “olá”, favoured by the Romance languages which might be related to extra effusive stereotypes. Elsewhere, some greetings carry traces of nationwide historical past: from the Dutch-derived “hallo” of Afrikaans to “óla” in Tetum, a reminder of Portuguese affect in Timor-Leste. Many such phrases seem to operate as each introduction and identification marker. However, says Professor Duranti, it isn’t fairly that straightforward.
“It is arduous to go straight from using a specific greeting to a nationwide character, though it’s tempting,” he tells the BBC. Various or secondary greetings, Duranti suggests, might provide higher clues. “In English, given the widespread use of ‘how are you?’, there’s an obvious curiosity in folks’s wellbeing.” In some Polynesian societies, he provides, greetings are much less a few word-for-word “howdy” than about checking in on somebody’s plans or actions – actually asking “the place are you going?”. Greek, in the meantime, makes use of “Γειά σου” (pronounced “yah-soo”) as a typical casual greeting, providing a want for well being reasonably than a easy salutation. Additionally it is usable for “goodbye”.
Serenity Strull/ BBCDifferent languages additionally flip summary ideas into multipurpose greetings that function each “hello” and “bye”. “Ciao” comes from a Venetian dialect phrase which means “at your service”, and the French “salut” is a casual expression used for each greeting and parting firm. Equally, the Hawaiian “aloha” can categorical affection or compassion, and the Hebrew “shalom” peace or wholeness. But, as Duranti cautions, even these evocative examples should not be considered as cut-and-dry indicators of nationwide character.
