Doei!

One of the first things I remember learning from other students when I was taking Dutch class was the word, "doei." [pronounced doo-wee] In class, we'd learned that the appropriate way to say good-bye to someone in Dutch is "dag" or "tot ziens." But some of my fellow students - in their enthusiasm to integrate - had heard people say, "doei," so they picked it up. It's sort of said in the same "sung" way that "bye" can be said. I think it's a major third - going down.

And some people say "doei doei!" which I find really annoying. There was a guy who worked in a shop near Fred who would say that all the time. And we saw him so much that it was difficult not to just parrot it back to him. It's the kind of thing that's difficult to not say back when someone says it to you. It's so quick that you don't even think about it.

Early on, Fred put a kibosh on "doei doei" and pretty much even "doei." It just sounds so ridiculous.

Supposedly it came from the south of the country - interesting how they get blamed for things. I've heard that it comes from "Dag" which then turned into "Doeg" (which people do say) and then it morphed into "Doei," like a sea creature that has been exposed to radiation and needs to reproduce in order to live.

To me, "tot ziens" is good. It just means "farewell." "Dag" is also good. It just means "Day," which I like because it's sort of nonsensical. It's like taking a part the word "good-bye."

Really? Good bye, or another kind of bye? Language is silly, isn't it?

I thought of this because someone said it to me yesterday and I repeated it back before I cringed and swore it off again.