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https://theconversation.com/how-to-say-a-beautiful-hello-inspired-by-philosophy-from-non-english-speaking-cultures-236913>
"Hi. Or should that be: hello? Or: hey? Or: yo? Or: ’sup? In English, there is
no shortage of ways to greet someone casually or informally – and most English
speakers will use one or more of these greetings every day.
Of course, English also has a number of formal or respectful greetings, such as
“How are you?” and the now slightly dated: “How do you do?” But while these may
appear to be inquiries into someone’s wellbeing, they are normally used to
demonstrate politeness in greeting rather than a genuine interest in and
concern for others.
It seems that when greeting someone in English, our choice is between the
informal and the insincere. If languages reflect the culture and values of
their speakers, this suggests English-speaking regions value informality and
insincerity, or, with a more positive spin, simplicity and politeness.
Outside of English, there are many greetings that provide unique glimpses into
the cultures of their speakers, reflecting different traditions and ways of
acknowledging, respecting and honouring others.
For example: the Arabic greeting “
as-salāmu ‘alaykum” (peace be upon you)
follows the instruction in the Qur’an (24.61) for Muslims to “give greetings of
peace upon each other – a greeting from Allah, blessed and good”. The Sanskrit
greeting “
namaste” (a bow to you) is often accompanied by a slight bow and
pressing the palms together in a sign of respect and deference.
And in cultures that prize hospitality and the importance of communal eating,
it is common to find greetings that mean “have you eaten?”, such as the
Mandarin “
nǐ chī le ma” and the Korean “
bap meogeosseoyo”“, though both are
often considered equivalent to the English "how are you?” or “hello”."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
