English Interjections in Fifteenth Century 25 
syght? York, ix, 99, Noe: What now! what cheere? WNot- 
browne Mayd, 45: Myne owne hart dere, with you what chere? 
God saue you. This expression has lost its force as a blessing, 
and is, in ME., purely interjectional. 
Morte Darthur, II, ch. 16: Balyn sayd God saue you. 
XIII. Dismissal 
1. Kindly Dismissal 
Of the three interjections listed as indicating kindness in 
dismissal, two have come down to our own time. Good-bye does 
not occur, since this corrupted form has its origin in the sixteenth 
century. 
As shown by the examples, expressions of kindly dismissal are 
much less numerous than those of angry dismissal. Of the 
latter, few are common in modern usage. 
adieu, adew(e), adue. The exact equivalent, in meaning, of the 
English good-bye. Compare French adieu. From a, to, and 
dieu, God. Hence, “I commend you to God.” Originally said 
to the person parted from, as farewell was said to the one 
leaving. 
Everyman: Adieu! for I shall never see thee no more! 
Everyman: Adieu by Saint John! Towneley Plays, xii, 406, 
Pastor: Now, brethere, adew! WNot-browne Mayd, 235: But 
nowe, adue! Mankind, 602: A-dew, fayer mastere! Mag- 
nyfycence, 967: Adue tyll sone. Magn., 1850: Adue tyll to 
morowe. Magn., 1874: Adewe, for I wyll not come in his 
clokys. 
fare well, farewell. An expression of good wishes when friends 
part. Originally addressed to the one leaving, but, later, merely 
a formula at parting. Imperative of OE. faran, to go, com- 
bined with well; OE. wel is a cognate of will, in the sense of 
agreeably to wish. 
Towneley Plays, xiii, 568: ffare well all thre. Magnyfycence, 
967: Farewell, my frende. Magn., 1850: Fare well tyll sone. 
Mankind, 155: Far well, jentyll Jaffrey! Mankind, 598: For 
385 
