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I faced this the first time, when I started working in a company where most of the employees went together to lunch. Leaving the office, wishing those who stood in the office

Mahlzeit!

or those staying in office saying same to those leaving. So it felt like some sort of announcing to leave now. Or something similar to wishing to enjoy their meal. I just started adopting it at one point, as since then I faced it at almost any company I had been working yet.

After I was asked by a coworker who currently is learning German, what it means and why people are saying it, I was struggling to be able to explain how this might have come up.

So what is the origin of people going to have lunch telling others "Mahlzeit!"?

Because, even knowing its meaning The term "Mahlzeit" from that other question, I am still wondering how this would end up being used in such way.

Zaibis
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  • Have you read the answers (and comments) in the linked thread? It seems to pretty much explain your question. If you still think it's not sufficiently answered, please clarify. – infinitezero Mar 03 '20 at 11:50
  • @infinitezero: Yeah, I read it. But I am wondering how this came up. Usually similiar German sentences are not just singleterms implying what they mean but rather stating it. From my experience we at least connect it with what we wish others to have like "Guten Tag.", "Schönen Feierabend", "Guten Appetit", "Angenehme Reise" etc. where as "Mahlzeit" just feels idiotic by the things I am used to. It is kinda lacking the explanation why one is saying it. – Zaibis Mar 03 '20 at 12:03
  • I would Expect it to be rather something like "Angenehme Mahlzeit" one would have to say. But Mahlzeit on its own feels like someone saying "Reise!" when a guest leaves or "Krankheit!" instead of "Gute Besserung" or "Feierabend!" when leaving the office. But all this would feel quite weird from my perspective. So I was wondering how did this evolve being the case for "Mahlzeit" – Zaibis Mar 03 '20 at 12:04
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    It's also common to say just "Morgen" or "Abend" instead of "Guten Morgen" or "Guten Abend". In Hesse instead of "Guten Appetit" you just say "Guden". – infinitezero Mar 03 '20 at 12:12
  • @infinitezero: I know of saying "Nabend" where the N is meant to imply the "(Gute)n Abend". For "Morgen" now you say it, I also noticed that every now and then, but had the impression of it being somewhat rude actually. Your other examples, I haven't ever taken notice of. But if that is in case the fact, This question might be kinda unnecessary. – Zaibis Mar 03 '20 at 12:23
  • Saying "N'Abend" is also common. As often, whether it is polite or rude is determined by the execution of the greeting ("Der Ton macht die Musik"). A cheerful "Morgen!" might just as well be as polite as a "Guten Morgen". I think people are just lazy and leave out words if they can. – infinitezero Mar 03 '20 at 12:26
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    In the comments to the other question there's also a link to the Wikipedia article where it's traced to "Gesegnete Mahlzeit". – DonHolgo Mar 03 '20 at 12:45
  • @DonHolgo: Yeah, I read that, but still my question is why it could just simplified like this while this is like the only case where this happens in German language (What might be wrong, if I just have so far missed this happening) – Zaibis Mar 03 '20 at 13:04
  • As far as I understand you assume and look for a more general rule of shortened words in German meaning a complex thing? Unluckely the wikilink in old question is only in a comment. If you are satisfied with the content (on wiki and german.se), you might update your question with both links and that you are no longer/ not asking for the meaning but for the origin and a possible pattern/ similiar words. – Shegit Brahm Mar 03 '20 at 15:47
  • @ShegitBrahm: Well, as is, I was asking, why it is a special case for Mahlzeit and how this came up. So I am not directly asking for a general rule, I just wasn't consciously aware that this sin't a special case as such. Hence answering that my assumption is wrong, is an satisfying answer in that regards. Does that make my question more clear? Or should I still consider editing it? – Zaibis Mar 04 '20 at 09:49
  • @Zaibis: in best case, everything you mean is written in your question. So when you take away all comments - is still everything in it? if not -> edit. If yes - what are the comments about then? Does it really reads the same with and without the comments? .... That is somewhat the guideline to decide an edit. Comments can vanish. HTH – Shegit Brahm Mar 05 '20 at 07:25

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Such abbreviations are not that uncommon in German. As mentioned in the other article, it's short for Gesegnete Mahlzeit.

Other often used shortened forms are:

Morgen (Guten Morgen)
N'Abend (Guten Abend)
Abend (Guten Abend)
Guden (Guten Appetit, Hessian dialect)
Frohes Neues (Frohes Neues Jahr)
Alles Gute (Alles Gute zum Geburtstag / Hochzeitstag, etc.)

infinitezero
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