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This question, about the greeting "Grüß Gott!" got me thing about "Grüezi mitenand" ...

Who is the other person supposed to be, if people greet me that way when I am alone, y'all? (maybe it's God? :-)

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Mawg says reinstate Monica
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    Have you ever been greeted Grüezi miteinand when you were alone? – stefankmitph Mar 16 '17 at 09:02
  • Very, very often. That is why I ask. Have not you? – Mawg says reinstate Monica Mar 16 '17 at 09:08
  • At least not when I was alone... – stefankmitph Mar 16 '17 at 09:28
  • What's the wrong assumption? That people don't greet single people with "Grüezi mitenand"? If you think that, then get a job with Wandel & Goltermann in Züri' and you will learn – Mawg says reinstate Monica Mar 16 '17 at 12:57
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    Maybe they do so at Wandel & Goltermann but it's still not appropriate. – stefankmitph Mar 16 '17 at 13:03
  • I do understand that it is wrong. Just wondered by pople at work, the gym, the bank, the post office, the bar, would do this. I just shook my head at the time, but now I wonder if there is a explanatoin other than "tja, those crazy Swiss" – Mawg says reinstate Monica Mar 16 '17 at 13:05
  • I retired my close-vote, instead I've added a tag (seems to be essential that it's Swiss German). – c.p. Mar 16 '17 at 13:09
  • I don't judge them. It's (most likely) just their idiom. But from a language perspective it makes no sense at all. Just for example: Where I come from people say when they're wondering about something or are just scared or frightened Servas Kaiser! which literally means Hello Emperor. Well, it's not wrong per se, it just makes no sense at all. – stefankmitph Mar 16 '17 at 13:09

2 Answers2

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grüezi mitenand should only be used for greeting multiple persons. You might have been greeted when you were alone by people who don't know the proper usage (e.g. tourists).

From Wikipedia:

An Stelle von grüezi wird auch grüezi wohl, zur Begrüssung mehrerer Personen auch grüezi mitenand gebraucht.

(translated:)

In place of grüezi, also grüezi wohl is used, and for greeting multiple persons also grüezi mitenand.

Glorfindel
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  • Never by tourists, only by native work colleagues. And often. It reminds me of the American y'all (you all), which should also only be used to multiple persons. Some inventive Americans use “y’all” to single persons and “all y’all” to groups :-) (grüezi mitenandmitenand ?) – Mawg says reinstate Monica Mar 16 '17 at 09:57
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»Grüezi mitenand« is swiss dialect. Translated in Standard German it would be:

Grüß euch miteinander

which again is a short form of

Ich grüße euch alle miteinander

And this is in English:

I greet you all together.

So you can use this salutation only when you greet a group of people. In contrast to »Grüß Gott«, it's yourself who is greeting. (In »Grüß Gott« you wish that the person you greet may be greeted by god, which means being blessed by god. So you can argument, that its not really you who is greeting. You just make wishes. You can think of »Grüß Gott« also as a German way to say »bless you god«)

There is also the swiss salutation »Grüezi« (without »mitenand«) which can also be used to greet a single person. It means in English (in its long form):

I greet you.

Hubert Schölnast
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