If you’re texting, you might use CYA or C YA. Just don’t say “ see you next Tuesday ,” unless you’re actually planning to meet with them next Tuesday … or you want to insult them. When you’re parting with someone you plan to see again in the near future, you might say “see you later.” (“Alligator” is optional.) The phrase is also sometimes shortened simply to later or, if you’re young and hip (or trying to be) laters. It stems from the middle English word farwel. First evidence of the word dates back to 1325–75. It means not only goodbye, but that you hope they fare (“to go, travel, experience”) well.

If you want to get fancy, you may want to use farewell. This Spanish phrase translates to “go with God.” farewell In Spanish, the word means “to God.” On a similar note (especially if you like the Zac Brown Band) is vaya con dios. First evidence of the word appeared around 1830–40. adiosīorrowed from Spanish, adios is another way to say goodbye to our friends and family-even if it’s the only Spanish word some of us know. A modern and sometimes flippant or dismissive twist on bye-bye is buh-bye. In 2000, NSYNC added an extra bye for their hit song Bye Bye Bye. First evidence of the term can be found around 1700–10. In fact, it was originally used in nurseries to help lull children to sleep. Significantly softer and a bit more infantile is bye-bye. We’ve also added countless other parting words to our language that people use instead. Over the years, the use of goodbye has become more cursory in many cases, and few people are likely invoking the help of God when they say it. So they issued a sincere send-off, asking God to be with them until they met again. In those days, people didn’t have the means of communication we do today, and they often didn’t know when or if they would see that person again when they parted. I t’s a contraction of the phrase “ God be with ye.” The practice of saying goodbye goes back centuries, with first evidence of the interjection found around 1565–75. Fortunately, there are plenty of words to choose from when it’s time to part.īut first, have you ever really thought about why we started saying goodbye in the first place? Why do we say g oodbye?

Then, there are those that are snarky, funny, soul-cleansing, gutting, liberating, and oh so much more. Others, such as those we say when we end a call or run out to get groceries, are perfunctory. Some goodbyes are heartfelt and full of emotion, such as when we say goodbye to a dying loved one. We say goodbye for a myriad of reasons and in a variety of ways.

And it’s no wonder this parting word and its synonyms have been the subject of much rumination over the years as saying goodbye has become an integral part of our interactions with people, places, and things. “So long, farewell …” This catchy tune from The Sound of Music is just one of many artistic reflections throughout the years on the ways we say goodbye.

What happened to goodbye