Gesundheit | Define Gesundheit at Dictionary.com gesundheit (used to wish good health, especially to a person who has just sneezed.) Origin of gesundheit Expand 1905-1910 1905-10, Americanism; < German: literally, health, equivalent to gesund healthy (Old High German gisunt; see sound 2) + -heit -hood Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for gesundheit Expand British Dictionary definitions for gesundheit Expand an expression used to wish good health to someone who has just sneezed Word Origin from gesund healthy + -heit-hood; see sound² Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for gesundheit Expand 1914, from German Gesundheit, literally "health!" Also in toast auf ihre Gesundheit "to your health" (see sound (adj.)). Lithuanian aciu, echoic of the sound of a sneeze, has come to mean "good luck, God bless you." See also God . Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper Why do we say 'bless you' or 'gesundheit' when people sneeze? | HowStuffWorks Why do we say 'bless you' or 'gesundheit' when people sneeze? Courtesy StockXpert Many people have become accustomed to saying "bless you" or "gesundheit" when someone sneezes. No one says anything when someone coughs, blows their nose or burps, so why do sneezes get special treatment?

What do those phrases actually mean, anyway? Wishing someone well after they sneeze probably originated thousands of years ago. The Romans would say "Jupiter preserve you" or "Salve," which meant "good health to you," and the Greeks would wish each other "long life." The phrase "God bless you" is attributed to Pope Gregory the Great, who uttered it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic (sneezing is an obvious symptom of one form of the plague). Up Next Mnemonics Neatly Eliminate Man’s Only Nemesis — Insufficient Cerebral Storage: Mnemonics Quiz The exchangeable term "gesundheit" comes from Germany, and it literally means "health." The idea is that a sneeze typically precedes illness. It entered the English language in the early part of the 20th century, brought to the United States by German-speaking immigrants. Virtually every country around the globe has its own way of wishing sneezers well. People in Arabic countries say, "Alhamdulillah," which means, "praise be to God." Hindus say, "Live!" or "Live well!" Some countries have special sneezing responses for children.

In Russia, after children are given the traditional response, "bud zdorov" ("be healthy"), they are also told "rosti bolshoi" ("grow big"). When a child sneezes in China, he or she will hear "bai sui," which means, "may you live 100 years." ­ For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions. Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying "bless you" would stop the devil from claiming the person's freed soul. Others believed the opposite: that evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a person's body. There was also the misconception that the heart momentarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn't), and that saying "bless you" was a way of welcoming the person back to life. We now know that sneezing is a reflex action and is most often the sign of something relatively benign, such as a cold or allergy . A sneeze also can be provoked by being outside in the sunlight or from smelling a strong odor.

Still, we persist in the custom of saying "bless you" or "gesundheit," mainly out of habit and common courtesy. For more information on sneezing and related topics, check out the next page. 1 Gesundheit | Definition of Gesundheit by Merriam-Webster Is That Cold 'Contagious' or 'Infectious'? Did You Know? When English speakers hear achoo, they usually respond with either gesundheit or God bless you. Gesundheit was borrowed from German, where it literally means "health"; it was formed by a combination of gesund ("healthy") and -heit ("-hood"). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends. God bless you had a similar purpose, albeit with more divine weight to the well-wishing. It was once believed that the soul could exit the body during a sneeze, causing ill health, so folks said "God bless you" to ward off this danger. Gesundheit, at one time, also served as a toast when drinking (much like its English counterpart, "to your health"), but this usage is now mostly obsolete.

Origin and Etymology of gesundheit German, literally, health, from gesund healthy (from Old High German gisunt) + -heit -hood — more at sound First Known Use: 1914 “Gesundheit!” and “Alla Salut!” mean “Cheers!” and “God Bless You!” “Gesundheit!” and “Alla Salut!” mean “Cheers!” and “God Bless You!” June 7th, 2006 The other day I wrote an entry about the customs around sneezing in different countries . I mentioned the German word Gesundheit, which is said to someone after they’ve sneezed. I looked up Gesundheit, and found that it’s also said as a “cheers” before drinking with someone. It’s literally “to your health”. The Gesundheit that’s said after sneezing comes from a longer phrase, Gesundheit ist besser als Krankheit, which means, “Health is better than sickness”. It’s probably rooted in the fear that someone might be sick if they’re sneezing. All of this talk about sneezing helped me remember what my Italian-speaking grandfather used to say.

He’d say, alla salut (it sounded like “ah salut”), meaning “to health”. He’d say Alla salut both after someone sneezed and as a “cheers” before drinking. So, to all of you â¦ Gesundheit and alla salut! Lisa P.S. Feel free to comment below about what’s said in your country as a cheers, and after someone sneezes. This article was posted on Wednesday, June 7th, 2006 at 10:06 am and is filed under Cheers! , Countries & Cultures , Customs and Traditions , German , Germany , Gesundheit , Italian , Italy , Languages , Sneezing , Words & Phrases , Yiddish . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response , or trackback from your own site. Growing up in Hong Kong, we never said or did anything special after someone sneezed. I remember when I first came to the U.S., I was surprised when someone said, “Bless you” after I sneezed.

Monique June 7th, 2006 at 5:00 pm In France, before drinking, we say “Ã ta/votre santÃ©” = to your health or “Ã la tienne/vÃ´tre” = to yours (meaning health) “Ã la bonne vÃ´tre” = to your good health. Informally, we might say “Tchin tchin”. I’ve read somewhere that the expression comes from Chinese. In Occitan, we say “Santat” =health “A ta/vÃ²stra santat” = “to your heallh In Spanish we say “Salud” = health FYI : I say “we” because I’m the three at a time! In Brittany, they say “Yec’hed mad” = Good health (lit. health good) or “Yec’hed mad dit/deomp” = “Good health to you (informal)/you (formal) the c’h in Breton is pronounced as a Gaelic ch in loch or German ch in Bach.

lilis The Hungarian “EgÃ©szsÃ©gedre!” is pronounced something like this: “egaesh-shaegaedre” Notice the E and Ã letters in the words: 5 vowels alltogether. They sound like as follows: E: like in “bad” Ã: like in “cane” or in “fame” Note that the closing last E is NOT muted. Notice “SZ” (an S followed by a Z) sounds like “s” in “system”. The “S” without a Z sounds like “sh” in “cash” In this word, the “sz” and the “s” is not uttered as “s-sh” but merges into a long-lasting “sh”. Etimology: Hungarian uses suffixes overwhelmingly so this long word can be sliced to its parts: parts: 1. “egÃ©sz” means “whole, “complete”, “unbroken” 2. “-sÃ©g” is a suffix working like “-ness” in English (it has an Ã inside because the word it is suffixed to has “high” vocal harmony and the suffix must match it.

If its low, the suffix would be “-sÃ¡g”) 1 and 2: “egÃ©sz-sÃ©g” literally means “completeness” but in normal speech it means “health”. 3. “-(e)d” is a suffix explaining “yours” in singular and in informal addressing as talking to friends. It has an interleaved E to break the consonant jam. 3. “-re” is a suffix meaning “for” or “onto”. Uses an E due to high vocal harmonizing (otherwise it would be “-ra”) Putting it together: “egÃ©sz-sÃ©g-ed-re” means “for you health” which is a short form of the full expression “vÃ¡ljÃ©k egÃ©szsÃ©gedre” which means “[wish that] be this [beneficial] for your health”. (The formal addressing speech uses “egÃ©szsÃ©gÃre” (see part 3 above) instead, meaning the same.) This word can be used for sneezes and for drinks as well but also often told to each other when a meal is finished.

Warning notice on part 2: E and Ã is different and if mixed up in usage, they can modify the meaning in words and in suffixes. If in the suffix “-sÃ©g” you incorrectly use “E” instead of “Ã”, the result will be “-seg” which sounds like “shag”. In Hungarian this sounds very close to “segg” (sounds like “shaggg”) which means “ass”, “bum”, “buttocks”, and thus the meaning of the expression above would change to: “for your whole ass” which usually amuses Hungarians :) but is incorrect anyway. Hope this helps. A correction for the previous comment (I mistyped, sorry): Correctly: “egÃ©sz-sÃ©g-ed-reâ means “for youR healthâ Kelly September 7th, 2008 at 1:50 am Something a bit different on the topic, my friends and I, in High School and college created different, non religious, things to say after one another’s sneezes.

I came up with “Ge-weiner-schnizel” (pronounced “guh-viner-schnitzel”), just a pun on “Gesundheit”. I cannot, however, remember what others said. Mine has stuck with me, though, and I have to explain it every time, and it always gets a chuckle. This and the other post has been extremely informative and really eye-opening. I’m still surprised that superstitious Japan doesn’t have folklore surrounding sneezes. I did find this on Yahoo! Answers: “dareka uwasa shiteru” , “uwasa sareterunjyanai?” or “____(your nema)san uwasa sareterunjya naidesuka?” Japaneses say, a sneeze is a sign that someone is talking about you. That is why after sneeze people say “dareka uwasa shiteru” which means “someone talking about you” Kelly etymology - How did "gesundheit" work its way into common American usage? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange up vote 4 down vote Instances of 'Gesundheit' in U.S.

newspapers, 1882–1918 A perusal of matches for the word Gesundheit in the Library of Congress's Chronicling America database of historical newspapers suggests that the word (meaning "Your health") may have been understood in the United States as a toast or greeting before it became associated specifically with a response to a sneeze. Three of the earliest matches for Gesundheit in English-language newspapers involve the celebrated doctor Anton Reclam [or Recklam] of Leipzig and his reports published in a periodical called Gesundheit. From [The [Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania] Columbian] (September 1, 1882): The famous Leipsic physician, Professor Reclam, in a late number of the Gesundheit, has ventured to say a good word on behalf of newly baked bread. The majority of old people, dyspeptics and hypochondriacs, he observes, say that they can only eat stale bread; they find new bread too indigestible. The virtue, he tells them, is not in the staleness of the bread, but in the care and thoroughness with which they are compelled to masticate it, on account of its hardness.

From the San Antonio [Texas] Light (April 7, 1883): Dr. Recklam, in a recent number of the Gesundheit, says that the headache, restlessness, etc. which are sometimes caused by keeping flowers in bedrooms do not result from any special properties of the flowers themselves, but from the continued strain brought to bear upon the olfactory nerves. And from the [Ravenna, Ohio] Democratic Press (August 2, 1883): In an article recently contributed to the Gesundheit—a paper, as its name imports, devoted to sanitary subjects—Professor Reclam, a German Gelehrter, makes some timely and useful observations on the subject of baldness. ... He does not think, as is sometimes said, that loss of hair i the result either of impaired health or of much study. The strongest men are often bareheaded and German professors, who are nothing if not studious, are distinguished above all men by the profusion of their locks. ... Herr Reclam draws the conclusion that baldness comes chiefly of the artificial determination of blood to the head, and to the heat and perspiration thence arising.

The result is a relaxed condition of the scalp and loss of hair. Also from the 1880s onward, U.S. audiences were exposed to one or more very popular German songs titled "Gesundheit," either sung or played as purely instrumental music at band concerts. Another early occurrence is from the [Honolulu, Hawaii] Daily Bulletin (July 18, 1885): While Kaiser Wilhelm was receiving Minister Pendleton a slight draft of air caused his Imperial Majesty to sneeze. "Gesundheit!" cried Mr. Pendleton, promptly. The Emperor was so pleased that he took Bismarck aside and told him that at last the United States Government was represented by a real statesman. But other early matches involves Gesundheit used in an American setting as an affectionate salute. From a burlesque poem titled "Elegy in a Leaky Wigwam" in the St.

Paul [Minnesota] Daily Globe (July 3, 1892): Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault, If memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise, Where thro' the long-drawn glass and cool beer vault The word "Gesundheit!" swells the toast of praise. From the [Washington, D.C.] Evening Star (October 19, 1895): Milwaukee [Wisconsin] has just entered the fifty-first year of its career as a municipality. There is scarcely a city in the country which does not join in wishing her gesundheit. And from the Jamestown [Dakota Territory] Weekly Alert (December 5, 1895): Gesundheit! A fine fat deer weighing 170 pounds was received Monday from Bismarck by The Alert with the compliments of Hon R. E. Wallace, who also remembers his friends Senator Fuller, Dr. Archibald and others in this handsome manner. The benedictions of those remembered go out in full measure to Robert with the added desire that he may live long and be happy. Beer advertisements are another major source of use of the term in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

An ad for "Bock Beer Day" from the Ferd Heim Brewing Company in the Kansas City Journal (April 9, 1898), featuring a drawing of a young woman with long braided pigtails; she sits on the back of a goat and holds up a glass of beer, and the caption beneath the drawing says simply "Gesundheit!" An advertisement for Renner's bottled beer in the Akron [Ohio] Daily Democrat (September 24, 1900) uses the same salutation: Gesundheit! Health and happiness to you, my friend? You see how well I look? Don't look as if I were dying, do I? Well, I drink Renner's bottled beer—and there you are! You can do the same by simply dropping a line to Renner's and you'll get the goods at your door, cheap, too. Is it pure? Well, I guess yes. And then there's this rather odd item from the Indianapolis [Indiana] Journal (June 3, 1896): Gesundheit. Gesundheit means health. It is not found in impure water, but in the pure invigorating brews of the Home Brewing Company.

No family should be without their "Extract of Malt" or "Columbia." They are equally beneficial to adults an children. Order some in bottles. A joke item in the Bismarck [North Dakota] Daily Tribune (November 17, 1900), published eleven days after the 1900 presidential election, reported various offers for employment that the losing candidate, William Jennings Bryan, has supposedly received in the interim: Chicago, Nov. 16.—Otto Krautpretzel, the millionaire brewer, offers Mr. Bryan $1,000 a day if he will stand in front of the brewery with a life sized schooner and say "Gesundheit" to passers by. Mr. Bryan has not yet signified his assent. Krautpretzel believes there are millions in the scheme. From the Minneapolis [Minnesota] Journal (November 13, 1901): The governor of South Dakota called on the governor of Minnesota yesterday, but did not make the traditional allusion to liquid refreshments that id expected when governors meet.

Governor Herried had a few minutes, and just ran in to see Governor Van Sant long enough for a mutual "gesundheit." An advertisement for Fisher Beer in the Salt Lake [City, Utah] Herald (May 8, 1907) discusses German and U.S. English usage of the term: "GESUNDHEIT" The German word for "health" is the popular toast of Germans over beer. In America, too, where also, beer has become the national beverage, the word "gesundheit" is a common greeting, and a most fitting one it is when the glasses are filled with Fisher Beer[.] There is nothing more appropriate for a toast when Fisher beer is the beverage. An item in the Calumet [Michigan] News (August 5, 1911) presents an even more vivid picture of early U.S. usage of the term: What's in a Name? Fun, Says Gesundheit. Chicago, Aug. 5. — "Gesundheit, Gesundheit, M. Gesundheit," droned a bellboy as he walked through the lobby of the Auditorium Hotel. Guests puzzled over his call until Mr.

Gesundheit, a traveling man registered from New York, was found. "I have some fun with my name," he said. "Also some trouble when inquiring for small packages. When I step up and say 'Gesundheit' the reply is 'Same to you, but what's the name?'". And from a short story, " The Specter of Our Unrest " by H.D. Couzens, in the [Washington, D.C.] Evening Star (October 15, 1911): He dropped into a bamboo chair, and noting his covert glance at the tabouret I made haste to bring another tall glassful of ice. He took it cheerfully and poured himself a modest drink of the yellow spirit. I had looked to see him take the generous portion known as a "second mate's fid" and was somewhat surprised. He held up the glass of effervescing liquid. "To your very good health, Sir.

A la votre sante, Gesundheit, or Aloha nui, as you choose." It's tempting to see the confusion of the narrator of the following item—from the Indianapolis [Indiana] Journal (May 4, 1902)—as arising primarily from the connection of Gesundheit with drinking beer and offering toasts: An Embarrassing Situation Philadelphia Record. "You may talk all you please about the embarrassing situations absentmindedness brings one into," said a pretty girl to her companion, in Broad-street Station yesterday, "but I think force of habit is just as bad sometimes. You know mamma is of German extraction and taught us at home always to say 'gesundheit' when one of the others would sneeze, until it became second nature with us. Well, day before yesterday I was in the elevated in New York, deeply absorbed in my book, when someone next to me sneezed heartily.

Mechanically, and without looking up from my book I blurted out 'gesundheit.' The snickers of several persons near me brought me out of my trance, and looking around to see what the cause of the laugh might be, I found several pairs of eyes fastened upon me in amazement. In a second I had glanced at my reflection in the window to see if my hat was on straight, you know, felt the ribbon at my neck and looked don at my skirt, but everything appeared to be all right, and while wondering what there was about me to cause all this commotion, I happened to face a gentleman on my right who at the instant smiled, raised his hat and said politely, 'Thank you.' Well, it dawned on me then what I had done and I can tell you I felt pretty cheap. I didn't wait for the train to come to a full stop at the next station before I was off. I'll try and have my wits about me hereafter." but her embarrassment seems more likely to have arisen from the young woman's having said anything—in any language—to a male stranger.

The demise of "Gesundheit" as a cheerful greeting in the United States may be tied to the vilification of all things German during the period of U.S. involvement in World War I. One instance of anti-German feeling in this period occurs in this item from the Harrisburg [Pennsylvania] Telegraph (May 2, 1918): Ban Put on "Gesundheit;" "Have a Smile" Instead Philadelphia, May 2.—"Gesundheit" is "verboten" in the Art Club. "Have a smile" may be substituted, or, if the speaker prefers, "The top of the morning to you." Everything with the enemy's taint—even his language—is barred at the Art Club, as the first step to banning German from club circles. Notices have been posted in the club and sent to members prohibiting "the use of the German language within the club or the language of any of Germany's allies." This action bars Turkish, Bulgarian, Czech and Slovak.

Various newspapers in 1917 repeat a (presumably apocryphal) story in which a German immigrant in the United Sates, after promising his wife not to say anything that will reveal his ethnicity, ventures into public and gets beaten up after saying "Gesundheit" when a stranger sneezes. Reported meaning of 'Gesundheit' in Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionaries The earliest Webster's Collegiate Dictionary to include Gesundheit as an anglicized term is the Fifth Collegiate (1936), which has this entry: Gesundheit n. {G.} (To your) health; — a salutation as when drinking. But the Sixth Collegiate (1949) begins to move away from the toasting situation and toward the sneezing one: Gesundheit n. {G.} (To your) health; — a salutation as when drinking, or after a sneeze. And the Seventh Collegiate (1963) takes the transition a step farther: gesundheit interj {G, lit, health} —used to wish good health esp.

to one who has just sneezed This remains the definition in the Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003), with a first occurrence date of 1914. I don't recall ever having heard "Gesundheit!" used in spoken English in the United States in any context other than as a response to a sneeze. Conclusion Perhaps the oddest thing about the aggressively anti-German feeling in the United States during and after World War I is the differential effect it seems to have had on usage and understanding of the word Gesundheit. Before the war, it was used as a friendly salutation, as a drinking toast, and as a response to someone's sneezing. After World War I, Gesundheit as a response to someone's sneezing seems to have recovered rather quickly, and Webster's Fifth Collegiate Dictionary (1936) suggests that it may have rebounded somewhat as a toast, too. But its use as a greeting seems not to have recovered; and in the aftermath of World War II, Gesundheit as a jolly toast among American drinkers seems to have fallen almost entirely out of favor, too.

As a response to sneezing, however, it remains alive and well today in the United States—a frequent alternative to "Bless you" that strangers feel no embarrassment in saying when the occasion arises. It's an interesting and skewed survival, and I suspect that U.S. usage of Gesundheit would have played out differently if not for the two wars that the United States fought against Germany in the first half of the twentieth century. up vote 0 down vote My grandfather, born in 1892, the son of the Spanish Consul in Biloxi, MS, and a devout Roman Catholic, used to bless anyone who sneezed with the phrase: "Gesundheit!". He died and went to Heaven a long time before the term political correctness was coined. He certainly had no qualms about the idea of offending anyone with his belief in God. I believe the concept would have been unthinkable to him. I believe he said gesundheit because be was so devout that he didn't want to use the name of God in a quotidian manner, thereby devaluing and making mundane a word he considered holy above all others.

As a side note, about a dozen years ago I blessed our then au pair, a young woman born and raised in the former East Germany, after she had sneezed. Puzzled, she asked, "what does this word mean?" I answered that it was German for "God bless you". She responded that she's never heard the word and that it certainly wasn't German. Go figure. meaning - "Bless you" & sneezing - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange up vote 10 down vote accepted The following excerpt from howstuffworks.com gives some insight: The phrase "God bless you" is attributed to Pope Gregory the Great, who uttered it in the sixth century during a bubonic plague epidemic (sneezing is an obvious symptom of one form of the plague). The exchangeable term "gesundheit" comes from Germany, and it literally means "health." The idea is that a sneeze typically precedes illness. It entered the English language in the early part of the 20th century, brought to the United States by German-speaking immigrants. For the most part, the various sneeze responses originated from ancient superstitions.

Some people believed that a sneeze causes the soul to escape the body through the nose. Saying "bless you" would stop the devil from claiming the person's freed soul. Others believed the opposite: that evil spirits use the sneeze as an opportunity to enter a person's body. There was also the misconception that the heart momentarily stops during a sneeze (it doesn't), and that saying "bless you" was a way of welcoming the person back to life. We now know that sneezing is a reflex action and is most often the sign of something relatively benign, such as a cold or allergy. A sneeze also can be provoked by being outside in the sunlight or from smelling a strong odor. Still, we persist in the custom of saying "bless you" or "gesundheit," mainly out of habit and common courtesy. As to the second part of your question; according to me, it depends on the context. If someone I'm talking to sneezes at that moment, I say it. up vote 1 down vote Following is an excerpt from Another story veers toward the medical. Once upon an unenlightened time, people believed that the heart stopped during a sneeze.

A hearty "God bless you" set the ol' ticker back in motion. Keep in mind these were the days before defibrillators and HMOs. And This is what WikiAnswers.com says There are several theories for this. One says that the phrase "God Bless you" originated from an Islamic practice around more than 1400 years ago. According to Islam religion, when someone sneezed, he should say "All Praises to God" and in reply to him, on sneezing, the people would say "May God Bless You". Another explanation is that when people sneezed it was thought that the heart would skip a beat and that instance would allow the devil to enter the body, so saying "God bless you" would keep the devil from entering. It was thought, in the middle ages, that when one sneezed a significant amount of breath (the breath of life) could be expelled from the body and thus cause death. In which case one would go to heaven with God's Blessing.

Written records state that the saying goes back to the time of Pope Saint Gregory I, or Gregory the Great, who was Pope of the Catholic Church from 3 September 590 until he died in 604. When Pope Gregory ascended to the Papacy, it was just in time for the start of the Plague, so this Pope is unfortunately known as the patron saint of plague. He believed that constant repetition of litanies and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession would help ward off sickness. On 16 February 590 A.D., Pope Gregory decreed that whenever someone sneezed, others should say "God bless you" in response. The blessing was given in the hope that the one who sneezed wouldn't develop the plague. Perhaps there was more to this than people realized: it is interesting to note that the plague of 590 A.D. dissipated very quickly. Why do we say 'bless you' after sneezing? - Business Insider Achoo! Inf-Lite Teacher/Flickr It's allergy season again, so there's a lot of sneezing going around.

Sneezing can be caused by crazy things like being too full , seeing a bright light , or even orgasm . For how common sneezing is — other animals sneeze too — scientists actually know very little about the phenomenon. In most cases, "a sneeze is designed to expel foreign particles and irritants from your airway, particularly your nasal cavity, and is a protective reflex, said Dr. Jonathan Moss of Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, in an email. And what comes after a sneeze? In the US it's traditionally a "bless you." "The Greeks and Romans took sneezing as a sign of wellness and expressed their good wishes to the person who sneezed using the phrase 'live long,' or 'May Jupiter bless you,'" according to a Turkish scientific review of sneezing and itching published last year in Nasal Physiology and Pathophysiology of Nasal Disorders . But somewhere along the way, sneezing fell out of good graces. In the 14th century Pope Gregory VII asked that 'God Bless You,' become "a short prayer to be said after every sneeze to protect against the plague," said the authors in the review. Another potential response?

The German word "Gesundheit," which means "health." According to this amazing Wikipedia page of "Sneezing Responses" around the world , many countries around the world reference health and longevity in their sneezing responses, only some referring to God. European Sneezes | “We must go back to teach Europeans to love Europe.” Jean Claude Juncker Achoo! Atchoum! Hatschi! Etcì! Why does the same body reaction produce different sounds all over Europe? This is funny and entertaining to notice that all Europeans use a different onomatopeia to transcribe into words the act of sneezing. This shows the creativity of our languages. And all Europeans do not tend to answer the same way after someone sneezes. For religious reasons, some will reply “Jesus”, “God Bless You” or even “may God put a blanket over you” after sneezing ; others will just answer “to your health”, “health” or “be healthy” and others will just say “wealthiness”, “beauty” or “to your wishes”.

The act of sneezing is even full of popular beliefs : in some Eastern European countries, sneezing during a speech is regarded as a confirmation that the speaker is saying the truth, in other European countries, the act of sneezing enable individuals to get rid of Evil Spirits hiding inside the body… United in diversity we told you ! Portugal Atchim! Portuguese people sneeze with a short but effective “atchim!” and they will answer with “Santinho” (“Little Saint”), “Saúde” (“[To your] Health”), “[que] Deus te salve“ (“[may] God save you”), “Viva” (the closest would be “long life [to you]”), or “[que] Deus te abafe” (may God put a cover/blanket over you). In Brazil, Atchim & Espirro were a duo of clowns that spawned several hits during the 1980s. And in Portugal, kids can enjoy a short (kitsch) song entitled “ atchim ”. But I have to warn you : this is not the best song ever… Spain ¡Achu! – ¡Achís! – ¡Achú!

There are three different ways to put into words the act of sneezing in Spain, even though you technically always sneeze the same way! In Spain, when someone sneezes, people answer with the exclamation “Jesús” or “Salud”. “Jesus” because the first Christians just change the greek habits of saying “Jupiter” after sneezing to be protected from disease or sickness. France Atchoum! French people will answer to someone sneezing by the expression “A tes souhaits!” which means “to your wishes”. One explanation lies in bubonic plague epidemies of early Middle Age. Sneezing was one of possible first symptoms of the plague. Pope himself ordered in 6th century to bless a sneezer immediately. Nowadays, the story about sneezing has been continued : if a person sneezes a second time, one may say “à tes amours“, which means “to your loves.” If the same person sneezes a third time, then he will hear “et que les tiens durent toujours“, which means “and may yours last forever.” Iceland Atsjú!

Icelanders sneeze with the interjection “Atsjú!” and reply with the expression “Guð hjálpi þér!” meaning “God help you!”. There is also an old custom in Iceland to respond three times to three sneezes like so: “Guð hjálpi þér” (“God help you”), “styrki þig” (“strengthen you”), “og styðji” (“and support”). Next time in Reykjavík, try not to forget to sneeze three times then ! Ireland Achoo! In Gaelic, Irish people will say “Dia linn” or “Dia leat” (“God be with us”) after “Achoo!”. Another possible answer may be the deprecating term “deiseal“, a deprecation meaning “may it go right”, though the more likely explanation for this is that it is a short form for “Dia seal” meaning “God with us for a while”. The sneezer could answer with “gabh mo leithscéal” meaning “excuse me.” United-Kingdom Achoo! English people will transcript the act of sneezing with the word “Achoo”.

The usual response is “(God) bless you” or less commonly “Gesundheit” (from German, meaning good health). In the United-Kingdom, they even discovered the ACHOO syndrome which is a generally benign condition characterized by sudden, uncontrollable sneezing after viewing a bright light. Pay attention next time you open the door of your fridge at night… Norway Aatsjoo! Norwegian people sneeze with the word “Aatsjoo!” which is not far from the current sneezing onomatopoeia in other European countries. People will tend to respond with “Prosit“ (“to [your] health”) after someone sneezes. Isn’t it the toast word Vikings also used when they drank Valhalla Beer from their enemies’ skull? Sweden Atjoo! Let’s sneeze with “Atjoo” in Sweden. Such as in Norway, the most common response to someone sneezing is “prosit” to which the sneezer responds “tack” (thank you).

An old quote from the 19th century attributed to Longfellow stated : “In Sweden, … you sneeze, and they cry God bless you !” Finland Atshii! – Atshiu! – Atsiuh! – Ätshii! – Ätshiu! – Ätsiuh! There are not less than six different ways to sneeze in Finnish. In Finland, people say: “Terveydeksi“, after someone sneezes which means “for health”. A Finnish blog explains one of the reason why we say “for health” after sneezing : Every time we sneeze our hearts stop for a fraction of a second. Sneeze is a little death. Coming back to life after sneezing means you’re healthy. Denmark Atju! – Hatju! Just as its Scandinavian neighbors, Danes tend to say “Prosit” (“to [your] health”) after a sneeze. The polite response is “tak” (“thank you”). There’s another interesting explanation for blessing with “to your health”. That one relates with yawns. Yawning was before considered very dangerous because Devil or Evil Spirit could enter you while your mouth was wide open.

That’s why it was essential that you kept your hand over your mouth when you yawned. Yawning was dangerous but sneezing was healthful. With sneezes you tried to get rid of Evil Spirit hiding inside of you. Because of that effort you were blessed. Netherlands Hatsjoe! – Hatsjie! In Dutch, one usually says “Gezondheid!” (literally translated as “health”), to which the person who sneezed will respond with “dank u (wel)” (thank you, formal) or “dank je (wel)” (thank you, informal). If the same person sneezes thrice, an informal comment would be “(Drie keer) morgen mooi weer!” (which means “(Three times) the weather [will be] nice tomorrow”). This response can be made by both sneezer and non-sneezer. Belgium Hatsjoe! – Hatsjie! – Atchoum! In Belgium, you will sneeze differently according to where you are. No kidding! If you are in Wallonia, just sneeze with “Atchoum” and people will reply to you with “A vos souhaits“.

If you are in Flanders, just sneeze with “Hatsjoe” or “Hatsjie” and you will hear “Gezondheid” in response. But if you are in Brussels, feel free to sneeze in Dutch, French, German, English or whichever language you feel is appropriate ! Germany – Austria Hatschi! – Hatschu! We say “Hatschi” in Germany and “Gesundheit“(“health”) is said after a sneeze. The sneezer normally responds “Danke” (“thank you”). Sometimes other wishes are uttered at following sneezes, e.g. “Zufriedenheit” (“contentment”), “Reichtum” (“wealthiness”) or (humorously) “Schönheit” (“beauty”). The German word “Gesundheit” passed into local English usage in areas with substantial German-speaking populations. The expression is first widely attested in American English as of 1910, about the time when large numbers of Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews immigrated to the United States. Switzerland Hatschi! – Hatschu! – Atchoum! – Etciú!

In Switzerland, we speak at least three different languages, depending on the region. In the German speaking part of Switzerland, you will be more likely to say “Hatschi” or “Hatschu“, whereas in the French speaking region, you will hear “Atchoum“. And in the Southern Italian region, “Etciú” is more common. Try to sneeze the best way wherever you are ! Italy Etciú! – Etcì! – Etciùm! – Etchòum! Italian don’t sneeze with a word starting with “a” but with “e” : “Etciú“, “Etcì“, “Etciùm“, or “Etchòum” is the common term used to sneeze in the Italian peninsula. One replies with “Salute!” meaning “[to your] health”. The person who sneezed usually responds with “Grazie“, meaning “Thank you”. According to a popular belief widely spread, the simple act of sneezing is caused by demons that tickle the nose of someone and can bring out its soul from the body. Czech Republic Hepčí!

“Hepčí” is the czech word for sneezing. Czech people will reply to you with “Na zdraví“, which means “To your health” just as when you share a toast. “Na zdraví” can be followed by the response “Ať slouží” (“May it last”). It is also less common to say “Pozdrav Pánbůh” (“Bless God” or “Greet God”) or “Je to pravda” (“It is true”). In Czech Republic, kids even had a board game entitled “ Hepčí ” where they have to play with a sick polar bear… Slovakia Hapčí! In Slovak, “Na zdravie” ([to your] “Health”) is said after a sneeze. For the sneezer, it is polite to reply “Ďakujem” meaning “Thank You.” In Slovak, you can feel sick as a dog (“cítim sa pod psa“, “I feel under the dog”), which means you are really with a bad cold. Poland Apsik! “Apsik” is the expression used to translate the act of sneezing in polish language.

Polish people will normally reply to someone sneezing by “Na zdrowie” ([to your] “Health” – meaning “may you get healthier”) or “Sto lat” ([live] “Hundred years” – meaning “may you live a hundred years”). Lithuania Apčiū! – Apči! The Lithuanian way of sneezing contains more vowels and is perfect to transcript the long act of sneezing. After sneezing, the person may say “Atsiprašau” (“Excuse me”). In Lithuania, people will reply with “Į sveikatą” after sneezing, which means “to your health”. The person who sneezes answers “Ačiū“, which translates as “Thank you”. Latvia Apčī! Latvians sneeze the same way as their Lithuanian neighbors. One says “Uz veselību” after sneezing, which means “to your health”. In Latvian cold winter, we may hear a lot “Apčī“… Estonia Atsihh! – Atsih! – Aptsihh! – Aptsih!

You have many possibilities to write down the Estonian expression transcribing the act of sneezing, but the variations are rather slight. It can be either “Atsihh“, “Atsih“, “Aptsihh” or “Aptsih“. In Estonian, the usual response is “Terviseks” (meaning “For your health”). Belarus Apchkhi! Апчхи “Apchkhi” is the usual sneezing word in Belarus. In Belarusian the response to sneezing is “будзь здаровы / будзь здароў” (Budz zdarovy / budz zdarou) directed to a male person and “будзь здаровая” (Budz zdarovaja) for a female. For the sneezer it is polite to reply “дзякуй” (dziakuj, thank you). Ukraine Apchkhi!

In Ukrainian, the appropriate response when someone sneezes is “будь здоровий” (BООD’ zdoh-RO-vyy – to a male sneezer, familiar) or its variations: “будь здорова” (BООD’ zdoh-RO-va – to a female sneezer, familiar), “будьте здорові” (BООD’-te zdoh-RO-vee – to a male or a female sneezer, formal), which means “be healthy”. The answer is “дякую” (DIA-koo-you) meaning “thank you”. Romania – Moldova Hapciu! In Romania, as well as in Moldova, the word transcribing the act of sneezing is “Hapciu“. People in Romania will say “Sănătate“ (“[To your] Health”) or “Noroc” (“[To your] Luck”). In Romania, indeed, sneezing can bring luck… Hungary Hapci! In Russia, Hungary and Slovenia, if someone sneezes after having stated something is sometimes interpreted as a confirmation from God that what is said was true!

This is nowadays still a common folkloric superstition. After someone sneeze, Hungarians say “Egészségedre“, which means “[to your] health”. The polite response is “Köszönöm“, meaning “Thank you”. Slovenia Ačih! – Ačiha! In Slovenia, you sneeze with the word “Ačih” and answer with the expression “Na zdravje” (almost always pronounced nazdravje). It means “to your health”. For the sneezer, it is polite to reply “Hvala” meaning “Thank You.” Nowadays old-fashioned response to a sneeze would be “Bog pomagaj“, meaning “God helps you”. Croatia – Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina Apciha! апћиха! In Croatie, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, people sneeze with the word “Apciha“. People there will reply “Na zdravlje” (with variations from one country to another) meaning “to your health”.

For the sneezer, it is polite to reply “Hvala” meaning “Thank you.” Less frequent, but also a common response is “Istina”, meaning “it is true”, as it is also there thought that sneezing reveal the truth. Bulgaria Apchix! апчих! We say “Apchix” in Bulgaria when we sneeze. As in many East-European countries, Bulgarians will say “Наздраве” (Nazdrave) after sneezing, which means “to your health” or “cheers”. And again, the person who has sneezed can then say “Благодаря” (Blagodarya), which means “Thank you”. Macedonia Apchixa! апчиха! In Macedonia after sneezing, one says “На здравје” (na zdravje), meaning “to your health”.

The person who sneezes usually says “Здравје да имаш” (zdravje da imash) which means “be healthy”, or just says “Благодарам” (blagodaram) “Thank You” or “Фала” (fala) “Thanks”. Greece Aps(i)u! αψ(ι)ου! On 3 September 401. B.C., the Athenian soldier Xenophon gave a dramatic speech urging his colleagues to accompany him to liberty or death in a battle against the Persians. After an hour of speech, a soldier sneezed, what their peers considered it as a favorable sign from the gods. In the Odyssey (17541-550), when Penelope heard that her husband Ulysses could be alive, her son sneezed loudly. Penelope was full of happiness, because she interpreted it as a a sign from the gods that Ulysses was indeed alive.

That’s why in Greece, people answer to someone who sneezes by “στην υγεία σου” (steen eyia sue) meaning “to your health” or “γείτσες” (“healths”). Turkey Hapşu ! Last, but not least, Turkish people sneeze with the word “Hapşu“. In Turkish, a sneezer is always told to “Çok Yaşa“, i.e. “Live Long”, which in turn receives a response of either “Sen De Gör” (“[and I hope that] you see it”) or “Hep Beraber” (“all together”). This is to indicate the sneezer’s wish that the person wishing them a long life also has a long life so they can “live long” “all together”. In more polite circles, one might say “Güzel Yaşayın“, i.e. “[May You] Live Beautifully”, which may be countered with a “Siz de Görün” (“[And may You] witness it”). If you liked this article, you may also like European Disgusts , Screams , Swear Words and Toasts .

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Question: What is the meaning of the German word "Gesundheit", said after a sneeze?
Answer: Health