Yo! Is this good Latin?

[Wander]

In reading the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis (set in Vespasian's Rome), she has the protagonist and his friend Petronius frequently greet each other with, "Io!"

I read that as "Yo!", and it certainly works in the writing. I'm just curious, because my Latin is weak at best and certainly not conversational.

Is "Io!" documented as a Latin or period greeting? Or is it just artistic license for something that probably existed, but was too informal to be recorded anywhere?

Inquiring minds want to know, and thanks.

[M. Demetrius]

IO is more like "hooray" than "hello". Such as in Io Saturnalia!
Hello is usually said, "Salve" (be safe {healthy, protected}) or "Ave", usually translated "hail" (from which we get the word "hello"). Those are the singulars, the plurals are "Salvete" and "Avete", and followed in either case by a name in the vocative case.

[Wander]

Thanks for a quick and informative reply. That would make me think twice about using it in a conversational context.

[A_Volpe]

Io Io, Saturnus in da house, boooyyyyeeee :twisted:

[Tarbicus]

I've often wondered if "Ave!" was the root of the North East England greeting "Away, man."?

[Jona Lendering]

I've often wondered if "Ave!" was the root of the North East England greeting "Away, man."?

Well, why not? In Holland (probably Flanders too), we have "jeminee", to express a combination of shock and amazement, which is certainly derived from "gemini". It's probably not just nouns and verbs that we've taken from Latin, but interjections as well.

And if I may digress a bit, I recently discovered the most insane etymology I've ever encountered: the Dutch word "ouwehoeren" means something like "to waffle", "to talk nonsense". Some purists spell it "oudehoeren", as if it's derived from two words meaning "old hookers". But it's actually derived from... augur!

[Tarbicus]

Thanks Jona!

[Wander]

I can easily see "jeminee" being related to the "Jiminy Cricket" some people say, when amazed, without really knowing why. (Ignoring the Disney influence on the language.) According to my father, my Swedish great-grandfather used to say, "Yumpin Yiminy." also a clear cognate, as such things go.

That "augur" origin is really special, though!

[M. Demetrius]

"...he didn't say 'true love', he said, 'to blave', which everyone knows means 'to bluff'...."
(Miracle Max in The Princess Bride)

[Wander]

No good. I've known too many Spaniards...

[Memmia]

I've often wondered if "Ave!" was the root of the North East England greeting "Away, man."?

That's so bizarre, my dad was talking about this a few days ago hock:

From same conversation:

There is an old Midland/ Warwickshire term 'pugin' which is crude slang for the male member- we wonder if it comes from 'pugio'.
A man's 'weapon' so to speak

[Marcus Mummius]

Well, why not? In Holland (probably Flanders too), we have "jeminee", to express a combination of shock and amazement, which is certainly derived from "gemini".

The expression is known in Flanders, but we don't use it, unless we want to imitate a dutchman :lol:

[griffin]

I just checked an on-line etymological dictionary for the english word Jiminy is likely Jesu Domine. It makes more sense to me that a phrase that denotes shock and awe, should be derived Jesus rather than Twins.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=jiminy

[caiusbeerquitius]

Jup, the latter is right. We also have it in German as "Oh Jehmineh!"