In our lifetime we have all used or at least heard the Italian salutation “ciao”, but how many of us actually know what it means? I can guarantee that Italians themselves are not aware of it and they may be surprised to find out that it would not be politically correct to use that word nowadays… Luckily it lost its original meaning and is now one of the most popular salutations around the world.
The word derives from the Venetian phrase s-ciào vostro or s-ciào su literally meaning “(I am) your slave”. This greeting is analogous to the medieval Latin servus which is still used colloquially in parts of Central/Eastern Europe or the antiquated English valediction “Your Obedient Servant.”