“Goodbye” is a Religious Phrase: The Unusual Histories of the Words We Use Most
Your friend is rushing out the door, eyes trailing sadly after the MUNI bus they were planning to take home, which is now pulling out of its stop. They glumly sigh, shrugging on their coat and slamming the door shut behind them. You know something is missing; you can’t leave them without a word, can’t send them out into the pouring rain before wishing them a proper farewell. So in the short second before the door closes for good and sends a thunderous sound reverberating through the house, you utter a quick “goodbye” to your friend, indicating that you wish that they have a safe trip home. You do not, probably, intend to say something religious.
Many people in our society today assume that “goodbye” is a contraction of the words “good” and “bye”. This is a very common belief, and it’s not hard to see why. Since “bye” is often used by itself during times of parting, it would make sense that “goodbye” would mean that you’re wishing the person a good bye (essentially a “good parting”). You’re hoping that they will not have an unwanted meeting with ill fortune before you see them again. That would make sense. Right?
The thing is, however, that “bye” technically means nothing when used on its own. It originated and for a long time existed as solely a slang term. “Goodbye,” on the other hand, is a contraction of the phrase “god be with ye,” which was a popular farewell in 15th century England. It meant “god be with you,” and provided warm assurance that until you meet again with the person you are parting with, God will watch over you and keep you safe from harm. Over time, this phrase was deemed too long and shortened to “godbwye” (god b’ w’ ye) and eventually “goodbye.”
It’s not just “goodbye.” Many of the words we use most often in our everyday lives have strange, unexpected histories and meanings, which can often surprise one who has been using these words in an entirely different way for their whole lives. Another example of this is the word “nightmare.” For the first half of the word, “night,” it’s easy to see how it contributes to the meaning of the sentence. Nightmares are bad dreams that you have at night. “Mare,” on the other hand, is trickier. The word actually traces back to a malicious demon in German and Slavic folklore that sits on you while you sleep, suffocating you and haunting your mind. Mares were also attributed to sleep paralysis. That’s definitely nightmare material.
Another word that has experienced a huge rise in popularity in the last few years (that also possesses an unusual history) is the word “quarantine.” It stems from mid-14th century Venice, during the zenith of the Black Death, a terrible plague. When ships arrived at the ports of Venice, they would have to wait a mandated 40 days before they entered the city. This was required to help eliminate the possibility that the plague was introduced to Venice. If the ships could wait 40 days with no sign of the plague on their ships, they would be admitted in. 40 days in Italian is “quaranta giorni,” and this process was known as “quarantini giorni,” so “quarantine” began to mean “a period of 40 days” (or in other words, a lot of missed school).
But don’t despair. “Goodbye” and other words like it have matured and changed over the ages, and their definition is simply whatever they mean to the person you are speaking with. If you’re not religious, you don’t need to panic about saying “goodbye,” and saying that you had a “nightmare” certainly doesn’t mean you believe that there was a demon sitting on you overnight (although depending on the nightmare, maybe it does.) The person you’re speaking to will almost certainly know what you mean.
