nagaatti
In Oromo, nagaatti is the way to say bye.
nagaatti is the standard way to say goodbye when parting ways with someone.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of nagaa (peace) and the postposition tti (in/at), literally meaning 'in peace'.
Did you know?
- In many Oromo communities, saying goodbye is rarely a quick or solitary act. It often involves a lengthy ritual of communal well-wishing and physical gestures of connection that can last much longer than a simple English 'bye'.
- The word nagaa is a cognate with the Somali word nabad, showing a shared linguistic history of emphasizing 'peace' as the primary greeting and farewell across the Horn of Africa.
- While nagaatti is used for parting, the same root word nagaa is used to ask 'how are you' through the phrase nagaa dhaayi, essentially asking if you are 'in peace'.
Examples in context
- Nagaatti, boru wal argina.Bye, see you tomorrow.
- Nagaatti, halkan gaarii.Bye, good night.
Example conversation
Obbo and Metii are leaving a small coffee shop.
- ObboMetii, nagaatti.Bye, Metii.
- MetiiObbo, nagaatti.Bye, Obbo.
- ObboBoru wal argina.See you tomorrow.
- MetiiEeyyee, boru wal argina.Yes, see you tomorrow.
