Ways to say it
| Old French | Note |
|---|---|
| Dex vos saut | formal or to more than one person |
| Dex te saut | informal, to one person |
Addressing one person informally, the same blessing becomes Dex te saut. These greeting formulas appear often in chansons de geste and Arthurian romances when characters meet on the road.
What does it mean word for word?
Dex is Old French for 'God', saut is a form of the verb 'salver', here meaning 'to save' or 'keep safe', and vos/te are the formal and informal forms of 'you'.
Which one should you use?
Dex vos saut addresses one person formally or more than one person at once. Dex te saut is for someone close, of equal standing, or a child.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The vos form is the polite and plural choice. The te form is informal, used between equals, family or close companions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These greeting formulas are attested across Old French literature from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries, including the romances of Chrétien de Troyes.
How does it change in a sentence?
Saut is a subjunctive form, so the whole phrase works as a wish or blessing rather than a plain statement, typical of greetings tied to religious language in this period.
How do you pronounce it?
Old French Dex was pronounced closer to 'dyeh' than the later French 'Dieu'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Modern French 'bonjour' would be meaningless and out of place in this period and should not be used to represent Old French.
When do people say it?
Because medieval greetings called directly on God, a traveller meeting a stranger on the road was already invoking divine protection with the very first words spoken.
Did you know?
- Old French greetings almost always called on God directly, unlike the secular 'bonjour' that developed later in the language's history.
- The courtly greeting Dex vos saut appears repeatedly in the romances of Chrétien de Troyes, among the earliest great works of French literature.
Examples in context
- Dex te saut, amis.May God save you, friend.
- Sire, Dex vos saut et gart.Sir, may God save and keep you.
Example conversation
In a medieval French romance, the knight Gauvain greets a lady named Enide on the road.
- GauvainDex vos saut, bele dame.May God save you, fair lady.
- EnideDex vos beneïe, biau sire.God bless you, fair sir.
- GauvainAlez vos bien en cest païs?Do you fare well in this land?
- EnideOïl, grant merci a vos.Yes, many thanks to you.
