Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-15
FORMS OF sALUTATION.
Greetings Used by Various Peoples
 of the Earth.
What to Do When You Meet a Sioux. . Zuni, Polite Jap, Q Naughty Per
 sian, a Proud Spanlard or
 Native of Hot OrInocO Land.

Native of Hot OrInocO Land.
 The North American Indians do not have many conventional forms of salu- tatton. Their etiquette generally is to meet in silence and smoke before speak ing, the smoking being the real saluta- tton. But number of tribes-e. E.. the Sheshoni, Caddo and Arikara-use a word or sound very similar to How! but in proper liberation Hau or Hao. Most of the Sioux use the same sound in com- munication with the whites, from which the error has arisen that they have caught up and abbre viated the "How are you?" of the latter. But the word is ancient, used in councils, and means good" or satisfactory" It is a re- sponse as well as an address or saluta- tion. The Navajos say, both at meeting and parting: "Agafani, ,"a an archaic word the etymology of which is not yet as- certained. Among the Cheroki the colloquy is as follows: No. 1 says: "Siyu" (good). No. 2 responds: "Siyu; tahigwatsu?" (good; are you in peace?). To this No. says: "I am in peace, and how is it with you?" No. 2 ends by: II am in peace also" Among the Zuni hap piness is always asserted as we'll as-im- plored. In the morn ing their greeting 1s: "How have you passed the night?" in the evening: ''How have you come into the sunset?" The reply always is: Happily" After separation of even short durations, if more than one day, the question is asked: "How have you passed these many days?" The reply is invariably: Happily" although the person addressed may be in severe suf- fering or dying. In quaint contrast with this Zuni custom is that of the Japanese, where the party visited asserts the pros- perity of the visitor. The host and hostess politely ejaculate ''Ohayo goza- rismasu!"-''you have come quicklyr'- which welcome is given even if the vls- itor has suffered delay and all kinds of mishaps. It is never contradicted. Per haps our expression: You have been long in coming" as indicating longing and waiting, is no more artificial.
 The wish of salute Is often specific, connected with circumstances of envi- ronment. The people of Cairo anxious ly ask: "How do you perspire?" a dry skin being the symptom of the dreaded fever. In hot Persia the friendly wish is expressed: May God cool your ager' that is, give you comfort in declining years. In the same land originates the quaint form: May your shadow never be less" which does not apply, as often now used in Europe, to the size and plumpness of the body as indicating TO- bust health, but to deprecate exposure to the noon sun, when all shadows are least.
 The Genoese in their time of pros- perity used the form "Health and gainv' In some of the Polynesian isles the prayer for coolness is carried into &C., tion, it being the highest politeness to fling jar of water over a friends head. According to Humboldt the morning salute on the Orinoco is: "How have the mosquitoes used you?" The old religious views of the Persians are found in their wishes: Hive foreverp and (stilI re- tatned in Spain, probably direct legacy from the Moors), May you live thou sand years!" They believe only in this life, and that through Divine favo it might be unlimited.
 The Chinese sojourners in Utah fell into curious blunder in using some of our phrases. On meeting resident at any time of day or night they called out: 'Good-morning!' and on parting "Good-night!' even if it were before breakfast; A similar error in imitation was made by the Zuni. When the off cers from Fort Wingate visited the Pueblo they were naturally anx- ious to reach the traders store, so they called out to the first person met: "How are you? Where's the store?" The Zuni caught up all the sounds as one greeting, and in the kindness of their hearts shouted them to all subse- quent visitors. The salutation "How- are-you-give-me-a a-match," has like explanation.
 Moslems, while scrupulously saluting the meanest of their own communion, re- fuse all friendly greetings to the Jews. If inadvertently they have accosted one of that people with "Peace be unto you," or the like, they will hastily add "Death to you!" to which the Jew may respond, pretending to have heard only the beginning, by ''The same to you!" in spirit somewhat different from that in which the same words are used by us in answer to Many happy returns!" on birthday and other anniversaries. It may be mentioned that where the Jews are in power they give no salute whatever to one of the Goim, but scowl at him.