Ways to say it
| Ancient Greek | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| χαῖρε | chaire | |
| ὠή | oe | a shout to get attention, like hey |
To call out and get someone's attention from a distance, Greek comedy uses ὠή (oe), a loud shout closer to the English 'hey!' than a real greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
χαῖρε is the imperative of χαίρω, 'to rejoice'. ὠή is simply an exclamation, not built from any verb.
Which one should you use?
χαῖρε works as a full greeting in any setting. ὠή is just a way to catch someone's attention before speaking, often followed by an actual greeting or request.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
χαῖρε suited every level of formality. ὠή is rough and informal, used mostly in comic theater between ordinary characters.
Is it said differently in some regions?
ὠή appears especially in Aristophanes's comedies, where characters shout it to call across a stage or a street.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike χαῖρε, ὠή is a fixed exclamation that never changes form for number or person.
How do you pronounce it?
ὠή stresses the second syllable, a long vowel held briefly, close to 'o-EH'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using ὠή as a polite way to greet someone would sound as rough in Greek as shouting 'oi!' instead of saying hello in English.
When do people say it?
Aristophanes uses ὠή to open scenes with a burst of noise and energy, a comic device to grab the audience's attention as much as the character being addressed.
Did you know?
- Aristophanes uses the shout ὠή to open several comic scenes, a burst of noise meant to pull both the character and the audience's attention onto the stage.
- Because Ancient Greek used the same word, χαῖρε, for every kind of hello, there was no equivalent to the English difference between a casual 'hi' and a formal 'good day'.
Examples in context
- χαῖρε, τί πράττεις?chaire, ti pratteis?Hi, what are you doing?
- ὠή, σύ, δεῦρο ἐλθέ.oe, sy, deuro elthe.Hey, you, come here.
- χαῖρε, πάλαι σε οὐκ εἶδον.chaire, palai se ouk eidon.Hi, I have not seen you in a while.
Example conversation
In a comedy, a slave named Xanthias shouts across the street to his friend Sosia.
- Xanthiasὠή, Σωσία!oe, Sosia!Hey, Sosia!
- Sosiaχαῖρε, τί βοᾷς?chaire, ti boas?Hi, why are you shouting?
- Xanthiasδεῦρο ἐλθέ ταχέως.deuro elthe tacheos.Come here quickly.
- Sosiaἔρχομαι, ἔρχομαι.erchomai, erchomai.I'm coming, I'm coming.
