aju (Dutch)

Where does "aju" come from?

The Dutch interjection 'aju' meaning 'bye, see you' derives from the French 'adieu'[1][2]. This French term ultimately originates from the Medieval Latin phrase 'ad Deum'[2], which literally translates to 'to God'[3].

Open questions

• The exact intermediary forms in Old and Middle French leading to the Dutch adoption are not explicitly detailed outside of broad language stages. [4]
• The extent and exact timing of later reinfluence from French adieu on the Dutch forms remain broad. [4]

Full etymology tree

• aju (Dutch), 'bye, see you'
  • inherited adieu (Dutch), 'farewell, adieu'
    • borrowed adieu (French), 'farewell, adieu'
      • clipping a Dieu vos comant (Old French)
        • derived ad Deum (Latin), 'goodbye'

Ancestors

• adieu (French)

Descendants and derived words

• aju paraplu (Dutch)

Sources

1. aju (Dutch) - Wiktionary
2. adieu (French) - Wiktionary
3. ad Deum (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. adieu (Dutch) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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