From wsmith@wordsmith.org Sun Apr 30 15:47:50 2000
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 00:05:30 -0400
From: Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org>
To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ciao

ciao (chou) interjection

   Used to express greeting or farewell.

[Italian, from dialectal ciau, alteration of Italian (sono vostro) schiavo,
(I am your) slave, from Medieval Latin sclavus.]

   "Thankfully, by the film's end, the Allied forces save the day and
   a happy ending greets everyone. Ciao."
   Francis Dass, Dull and ditzy flick, The New Straits Times, Mar 18, 2000.

This week's theme: words with unusual etymologies.

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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/ciao.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/ciao.ram