merhaba
/meɾhaˈba/
interjection
Origin
Arabic
رح ب (r-ḥ-b) — width, spaciousness, welcome
Overview
Meaning Now
- A standard greeting used to say hello or hi.
Literal older meaning
God extend/expand your path
Language path
Arabic → Ottoman Turkish → Turkish
Earliest form
merhabā
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
Derived from the Arabic 'marḥaban', the word originates from a root expressing the wish that a guest find comfort, space, and a generous welcome. It became the most common polite greeting in the Ottoman Empire and continues to be the primary greeting in modern Turkish.
Evolution
- Arabic
marḥaban
“welcome”
Accusative case form functioning as an interjection.
- Ottoman Turkish
merhabā
“hello, greeting”
Adopted into Turkish with a slight phonological adaptation.
- Modern Turkish
merhaba
“hello”
Connections
Word parts
merhaba
root
hello
Related across languages
Persian
marhaba
welcome, bravo
Urdu
marhaba
welcome
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