# Origin of «thank you» in your language



## Fericire

Hi!
What's the origin of the locution «thank you» in your language?

For example, in Portuguese it is «Obrigado(a)» — lit.: «Obliged/Compelled» —, because it comes from: «Sinto-me obrigado(a) em retribuir o favor» — lit.: «I feel compelled to return the favor».

Thanks!


----------



## jana.bo99

Here are two languages:

Slovenian: Hvala 

Croatian: Hvala 
             Hvala Vam (to the older person)
             Hvala ti (to the younger and relatives)


----------



## rusita preciosa

Russian:*спасибо* /spasibo/ 
(from спаси бог /spasi bog/ - "may god save you")

I heard that Japanese "origato" came from Portuguese "obrigado".


----------



## rusita preciosa

jana.bo99 said:


> Here are two languages:
> 
> Slovenian: Hvala
> 
> Croatian: Hvala
> Hvala Vam (to the older person)
> Hvala ti (to the younger and relatives)


Can you explain the origin? Does is mean "prise to you"?


----------



## Fericire

rusita preciosa said:


> Russian:*спасибо* /spasibo/
> (from спаси бог /spasi bog/ - "may god save you")
> 
> I heard that Japanese "origato" came from Portuguese "obrigado".



«Origatô» comes indeed from Portuguese. It is result of one of the many amazing achievements the Portuguese did in Asia, in the 14/15th century.


----------



## jana.bo99

rusita preciosa said:


> Can you explain the origin? Does is mean "prise to you"?


I have to find out, because there is nothing to find, where from comes this word.


----------



## Explorer41

rusita preciosa said:


> Can you explain the origin? Does is mean "prise to you"?


At least it's for sure that "Hvala Bogu" is the Montenegrin for "Слава Богу" ("thank God!", lit. "Glory to God!"). I have heard it in an American movie. It sounds very euphonic.


----------



## Jabir

Actually, Fericire, I've read a lot of times that this Arigato comming from our Obrigado is, as the Japanese of Okinawa would say, a perfect SOBORO NO KOROGUSHE, or in plain English "just a myth"


----------



## Fericire

Jabir said:


> Actually, Fericire, I've read a lot of times that this Arigato comming from our Obrigado is, as the Japanese of Okinawa would say, a perfect SOBORO NO KOROGUSHE, or in plain English "just a myth"



EDIT: nevermind, it is accepted it comes from a locution in Manyoshu.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_words_of_Portuguese_origin
Still, a lot of people say it comes from Portuguese.


----------



## rusita preciosa

Explorer41 said:


> At least it's for sure that "Hvala Bogu" is the Montenegrin for "Слава Богу" ("thank God!", lit. "Glory to God!"). I have heard it in an American movie. It sounds very euphonic.


If you go by the Russian meaning of xвала /hvala/, "Hvala Bogu" would be exactly "praise the Lord". But there are always "false friends" etc. between Slavic languages, that's why I asked.


----------



## apmoy70

In Greek:

*To thank*: «Ευχαριστώ» /efxari'sto/
*Thanks*: «Ευχαριστίες» /efxari'sties/ (fem. pl.)
*Thanksgiving*: «Ευχαριστία» /efxari'stia/ (fem.) from which eucharist derives.
Compound, adv. «εὖ» (eu-) --> _well_ + feminine noun «χάρις» ('xārīs, /xari/ in Modern Greek which is also a feminine given name)--> _grace, thankfulness, gratitude_


----------



## Explorer41

rusita preciosa said:


> If you go by the Russian meaning of xвала /hvala/, "Hvala Bogu" would be exactly "praise the Lord".


By the way, the two "hvala" have a different stress — the stress is on the first syllable in the Montenegrin word, and on the second syllable in the Russian one. So they sound very different — I didn't even remember of the Russian expression "хвалá Богу" before you pointed at it *. I remembered though of the root "хвал", which means mostly the same as "слава" in Russian.

But well, I don't know whether "hvala Bogu" is a structure equivalent of the Russian "слава Богу". My post was nothing but an interesting observation. Anyway, the meaning of thanking is sure there — and it fitted very well the context.

==========

* "хвалá Богу" is a very rare and almost non-existent Russian expression, it means precisely "praise the Lord"; to express this meaning, we usually say "хвалá Господу", not "хвалá Богу", but even the first we use very rarely; maybe partly that's why I didn't remember of it at all.


----------



## LilianaB

Chwala bogu, pronounced exactly, almost exactly like the Russian phrase, is a Polish phrase, quite common, and means: Thank God.


----------



## rusita preciosa

Explorer41 said:


> I didn't even remember of the Russian expression "хвалá Богу" before you pointed at it


I've never heard хвалá Богу in Russian either and never pointed it out. I was trying to interpret that exression in Montenegran(?) you mentioned, using an analogue in Russian.


----------



## terredepomme

Fericire said:


> «Origatô» comes indeed from Portuguese. It is result of one of the many amazing achievements the Portuguese did in Asia, in the 14/15th century.


Arigatou is from "arigatai", which is from "aru"(to be)+"katai"(hard), i.e. hard to exist, rare to find. It is from a buddhist expression that goes something like "the benevolence of Buddha is hard to find." =something to be thankful for.


----------



## osemnais

thank you = благодаря ти = lit. I give good to you
даря = make a present to
благо = good, wealth, welfare


----------



## Explorer41

osemnais said:


> thank you = благодаря ти = lit. I give good to you
> даря = make a present to
> благо = good, wealth, welfare


The same is used in Russian: "благодарю Вас".


----------



## LilianaB

There are a few expressions in Lithuanian.

Aciu. Thanks. ( sounds like Farsi or Hindi, but I might be wrong)
Dekoju. Thank you. Similar to Polish dziekuje.
I am grateful- Esu labai dekingas.


----------



## Epilio

In Spanish it is said *gracias*, that comes from Latin *gratias*. It can be emphasized by adding *muchas* (*gracias*), that comes from Latin* multas* *gratias *(thank you very much).

*Gratias* is the pl. accusative of *gratia* (grace) which is related to *gratus*, i.e, pleasing.


----------



## er targyn

Central Asian people use Rahmat/Rahmet, which is from Arabic and means (I am not sure) blessing or similar.


----------



## jana.bo99

Sorry, but nobody knows, where from comes: HVALA!

"Hvala Bogu" say many people, when something went well or some sick person became healthy. That means , God (Bog) was there to help.

Even I say that, although I am not very religious


----------



## Anja.Ann

Hi  

In Italian, the most frequent expression for "Thank you" is "Grazie." 
"_Grazie_" is the plural of "gràzia", from Latin _gratia_, derived from _gratus_ «gradito; riconoscente» = "appreciated"; "grateful".


----------



## bibax

Czech: děkuji (I thank), děkujeme (we thank), ...
Slovak: ďakujem, ďakujeme, ...
Polish: dziękuję, dziękujęmy, ...

All from the Germanic noun Denk (denken = to think).


----------



## er targyn

Do you mean danken/to thank?


----------



## itreius

er targyn said:


> Do you mean danken/to thank?



Nope. Western Slavic _to thank_ coming from _danken_ is a common misconception.


----------



## er targyn

Can you specify the source?


----------



## ThomasK

Dutch: *bedankt, dank je* (like _thanks_/...)


----------



## bibax

> Can you specify the source?


It is rather a question for the Germanists as _thank/danken_ are related to _think/denken_.

The West Slavic (and also Ukrainian and Belorussian) expression is merely a very old loan from Germanic.


----------



## OneStroke

Cantonese:
For favours (also means please): 唔該 (lit. you shouldn't have)
Everything else: 多謝 (lit. many thanks)


----------



## mataripis

In Tagalog it is "Salamat"(Thanks) . From "Sala" and "mat(a)" meaning" not based on looks".(probably feelings)


----------



## er targyn

Salamat looks Arabic. We use it to greet.


----------



## mataripis

er targyn said:


> Salamat looks Arabic. We use it to greet.


I remember, In Indonesia and Malaysia, They have "Selamat" and in Arabic "Salam". Maybe, it is arabic origin.


----------



## gonzalox237

Dankon  en esperanto.

Viene del Alemán Danke.


----------



## ThomasK

I thought 'salaam' referred to peace in Arabic and other Semitic (?) languages...


----------



## francisgranada

Hungarian:

_*Köszönöm *_(I thank)
Colloquial: _köszi_, _kösz_

I do not know the etymology, but the same root can be found also in k_öszönteni _"to greet", "to salute"


----------



## Outsider

Fericire said:


> For example, in Portuguese it is «Obrigado(a)» — lit.: «Obliged/Compelled» —, because it comes from: «Sinto-me obrigado(a) em retribuir o favor» — lit.: «I feel compelled to return the favor».


Not to contradict you, but another possible literal translation of "obrigado/a" is "indebted". Around here we sometimes say "Fico-lhe obrigado": I'm indebted to you. It expresses the idea that you owe a debt of gratitude towards the other person.


----------



## ancalimon

Turkish:

Sağol.  (be alive, be healthy, be living..  or maybe "be on the good side".)  We can see many people pronounce it as "sawol" too.

or

Teşekkür ederim.  (from Arabic.  "ederim" is Turkish for "I make, I make so that it exist)


----------



## tFighterPilot

Hebrew: Todá תודה
Aramaic: Táwdi תודי

Since it exist in both Hebrew and Aramaic but not in Arabic, I assume it originates in the NW Semitic branch.


----------

