Chapter 1: Starting with Konkani
Goodbyes are a fascinating part of human communication. In most languages, saying goodbye is more than just announcing that you're leaving — it's often a gesture of care, a wish for the other person's well-being, or a hopeful promise to meet again.
Take the word “goodbye,” for example. Have you ever wondered where it comes from? Though it seems like a simple word today, its origin reveals something truly meaningful. Long ago, people didn’t say “goodbye” the way we do now. Instead, they said “God be with ye” — a heartfelt blessing asking for God’s protection as someone departed. Over time, as language evolved and speech became quicker and more casual, “God be with ye” gradually shortened to “goodbye.” So every time you say “goodbye,” you're actually sharing an ancient blessing — one that's been passed down for centuries, quietly wishing the other person safety and peace.
Similarly, phrases like “See you later” or “Take care” carry a subtle but powerful message: “I hope we meet again.” These parting words are less about ending and more about continuing — a way to reinforce connection rather than finality.
Devu Bare Koro (Dheh-vu ba-reh koh-roh)
Just like “goodbye” originally meant “God be with ye,” the Konkani phrase Devu Bare Koro is also a heartfelt blessing.
Devu = God
Bare = good / well
Koro = to do
So the literal translation of Devu Bare Koro is: “May God do you well.” It’s more than just a farewell — it’s a kind wish, a hope for someone’s well-being as they go on their way.
Devu Bare Koro = May god do you well
Mellya (meL-ya) , Yettha (yet-tha)
Before we dive into these two Konkani expressions, let’s take a short detour into pronunciation — specifically the different kinds of “L” sounds.
In English, we have two types of “L” sounds:
Light L — used when a vowel follows the “l,” as in light, liver, lie. Here, the tip of your tongue touches just behind your upper teeth, and then drops to complete the sound.
Dark L — used when a word ends in “l,” like in fall, until, bill. In these cases, your tongue touches the same spot as light L, but stays there longer, making the sound heavier or more “muffled.” Phonetically, this is written as ɫ.
But in Konkani, there’s a third kind of “L” sound — what we’ll call the center L. To keep things clear, we’ll write it as L (uppercase) when needed.
Center L is made when the tip of your tongue touches the center of the roof of your mouth. Whether the tongue falls or stays in place depends on the surrounding vowels — but the placement is distinct from both light and dark L.
Now that we know this sound, let’s return to our phrases.
Mellya (meL-ya) means “let’s meet again.” That L is the center L we just discussed.
Yettha (yet-tha) means “I’ll come again.”
Both are lovely ways to part — not with finality, but with intention. In Konkani, goodbyes are invitations. They say: “This is not the end. I hope to see you again soon.”