goodbye (English)

Where does "goodbye" come from?

The word 'goodbye' evolved from the expression 'God be with you'[1]. Over time, this phrase underwent successive contractions like 'God be wi' you', 'God b'w'y', and 'Godby'[1]. The final transition from 'God' to 'good' occurred through confusion with common phrases such as 'good morning' or 'good night'[1]. Consequently, the term is now analyzed as a combination of 'good'[2] and 'bye'[3], the latter being a variant of the Old English 'bī'[3][6].

Open questions

The exact influence of phrases like good morning on the shift from God to good remains a descriptive linguistic hypothesis regarding the change in form. [1]

Full etymology tree

goodbye (English), 'Farewell; a formula used to another person or persons when the speaker, writer, or person addressed is departing.'
- derived God be with you (English), 'God bless you.'
- influence good (English), 'Of a person or an animal:'
  - inherited good (Middle English), 'good (of good quality or behaviour)'
    - inherited god (Old English), 'good'
      - inherited *gōdaz (Proto-Germanic), 'good'
        derived *gʰedʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to join'

Ancestors

*ǵʰew- (Proto-Indo-European)
good (English)
bye (English)

Descendants and derived words

golden goodbye (English)
Irish goodbye (English)
kiss goodbye (English)
kiss one's ass goodbye (English)
say goodbye (English)
wave goodbye (English)
グッバイ (Japanese)

Sources

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris