{{Short description|Expression used to say farewell}} {{other uses}} {{distinguish|malediction (disambiguation){{!}}malediction}} {{Multiple issues| {{Globalize |date = June 2009|discuss=Talk:Parting phrase#Globalize }} {{More citations needed|date=October 2015}} }} A '''valediction''' (derivation from Latin {{lang|la|vale dicere}} {{gloss|to say farewell}}),<ref>{{Cite book | title = Oxford Concise Dictionary of English Etymology | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1996 | location = Great Britain | pages = 519 }}</ref> '''parting phrase''', or '''complimentary close''' in American English,<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Complimentary+close Complimentary close on The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition].</ref> is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a letter or message,<ref name=amhe>[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/valediction Valediction] – Definition from American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). as cited by The Free Dictionary.</ref><ref>[http://www.dictionary.co.uk/browse.aspx?word=valediction Valediction Dictionary.co.uk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717034538/http://www.dictionary.co.uk/browse.aspx?word=valediction |date=2011-07-17 }}.</ref> or a speech made at a farewell.<ref name=amhe/>
Valediction's counterpart is a greeting called a salutation.
== Oral valedictions ==
Parting phrases are used to acknowledge the parting of individuals or groups of people from each other. They are an element of parting traditions. Parting phrases are specific to culture and situation, and vary based on the social status and relationship of the persons involved.
=== Religious and traditional parting phrases === * "''As-Salamu Alaykum''" or "''Salam''" ("Peace be upon you"), used among Muslims and Arabs * "Goodbye", an English parting phrase used in the West, is a contraction of "God be by ye".<ref name="Shipley1955">{{cite book|last=Shipley|first=Joseph T.|title=Dictionary of Early English|date=15 January 1955|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|language=English|isbn=9781442233997|page=305}}</ref> * "''Khuda Hafiz''" ("God protect (you)"), used among Iranians and South Asian Muslims * "''Namaste''", parting phrase of Indian origin * "''Shalom''" ("Peace"), used among Jewish people as a parting and greeting phrase
==Written valedictions== Valedictions normally immediately precede the signature in written correspondence. The word or words used express respect, esteem, or regard for the person to whom the correspondence is directed, and the exact form used depends on a number of factors.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal|last=Scheyder|first=Elizabeth|title=The Use of Complimentary Closings in E-mail: American English Examples|journal=Working Papers in Educational Linguistics|year=2003|volume=19|issue=1|pages=27–42|url=http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_scheyder/1/|access-date=13 February 2014|archive-date=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222174410/http://works.bepress.com/elizabeth_scheyder/1/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In British English, valedictions have largely been replaced by the use of "Yours sincerely" or "Yours faithfully". "Yours sincerely" is typically employed in English when the recipient is addressed by name (e.g. "Dear John", "Dear Mr. Smith"), whereas "Yours faithfully" is used when the recipient is not addressed by name (i.e., the recipient is addressed by a phrase such as "Dear Sir/Madam").<ref>{{Cite web|title = Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?|url = http://www.dailywritingtips.com/yours-faithfully-or-yours-sincerely/|website=Daily Writing Tips| date=6 March 2009 }}</ref>
===Formal usage=== Historically, valedictions were often elaborate and formal. Vestiges of such formality remain in various cases. The examples below are subject to some variation but generally follow the pattern described.
====United Kingdom==== *Letters to the King of the United Kingdom should end, "I have the honour to remain, Sir, Your Majesty's most humble and obedient servant."<ref name="Debr_Queen">{{Cite web|title = Addressing Royalty: Communicating With the Queen|url = https://www.debretts.com/expertise/forms-of-address/addressing-royalty/|website=Debrett's}}{{dead link|date=February 2026}}</ref> Alternatively, "I remain, with the profoundest veneration, your Majesty's most faithful subject and dutiful servant."<ref>{{Cite book|title = Cassell's Household Guide - Hints to Letter Writers|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-7AHAwAAQBAJ&q=obedient&pg=PA208|isbn = 9785871686072|last1 = Ltd|first1 = Cassell|year = 1869| publisher=Рипол Классик }}</ref> *Letters to other members of the royal family should end, "I have the honour to remain, Sir/Madam, Your Royal Highness's most humble and obedient servant."<ref name="Debr_Queen" /> *Letters to ambassadors should end, "I have the honour to be, with the highest consideration, Your Excellency's obedient servant."<ref name="Debr_Dip">{{Cite web|title = Diplomatic Service: Forms of Address|url = https://www.debretts.com/expertise/forms-of-address/professions/the-diplomatic-service/|website=Debrett's}}{{dead link|date=February 2026}}</ref> *Letters to high commissioners should end, "I have the honour to be Your Excellency's obedient servant."<ref name="Debr_Dip" /> *Letters to the pope should end, "I have the honour to be Your Holiness's most devoted and obedient child." (substituting "obedient servant" if not a Roman Catholic).<ref name="Debr_Cath">{{Cite web|title = The Roman Catholic Church: Forms of Address|url = https://www.debretts.com/expertise/forms-of-address/professions/religion// |website=Debrett's |url-access=registration}}</ref> *Letters to a cardinal should end, "I have the honour to be, My Lord Cardinal, Your Eminence's devoted and obedient child." (substituting "obedient servant" if not a Roman Catholic).<ref name="Debr_Cath" /> *Letters to an archbishop should end, "I have the honour to be Your Grace's devoted and obedient child." (substituting "obedient servant" if not a co-religionist).<ref name="Debr_Cath" /> *Letters to a bishop should end, "I have the honour to be Your Lordship's obedient child." (substituting "obedient servant" if not a co-religionist).<ref name="Debr_Cath" /> *Letters to an abbot should end, "I beg to remain, my Lord Abbot, your devoted and obedient servant."<ref name="Debr_Cath" />
===Nazi Germany=== {{Main|Nazi salute}} In correspondence between high-ranking Nazi officials, letters were usually signed with the valediction "Heil Hitler".<ref>{{cite book |last=Klee |first=Ernst |year=2007 |title=Das Kulturlexikon zum Dritten Reich: Wer war was vor und nach 1945 |location=Frankfurt am Main |publisher=Fischer |page=227 |isbn=978-3-10-039326-5 |language=de}}</ref> This practice ended with the fall of Nazi Germany and Denazification.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Griffith |first=William E. |date=1950 |title=Denazification in the United States Zone of Germany |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1026728 |journal=The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |volume=267 |pages=68–76 |doi=10.1177/000271625026700108 |jstor=1026728 |issn=0002-7162|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
===Business usage in the United States=== The following table contains complimentary closings as recommended for business hard-letter use by two American authorities: Barron's Educational Series<ref>Alan Bond, ''300+ Successful Business Letters for All Occasions, 2nd Edition'' (Barron's Educational Series, 2005), 7.</ref> and American Management Association (AMACOM).<ref>James Stroman, Kevin Wilson, Jennifer Wauson, ''Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, 5th Edition'' (AMACOM: American Management Association, 2014), 299.</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Closing !! Recommended use |- | Yours truly, || "formal closing" (Barron's); "no personal connection between writer and recipient" (AMACOM) |- | Very truly yours, || "no personal connection between writer and recipient" (AMACOM) |- | Respectfully yours, || "formal closing" (Barron's); to person of acknowledged authority or "great formality" (AMACOM) |- | Sincerely, or Sincerely yours, || "less formal closing" (Barron's); personal and business relationship (AMACOM) |- | Cordially, || "less formal closing" (Barron's) |- | Cordially yours, || often used, but it is "incorrect" (AMACOM) |- | Regards, Personal regards, Kindest regards, || "personal closing" (Barron's) |- | Best, Best wishes || "The origin of best as a closer for correspondence begins with the phrase "best wishes," which has been used to express hope for a person's future happiness or well-being since the 16th century, as demonstrated by the Earl of Essex in a 1595 letter: "This … is … accompanyed with my best wishes, from your lordship's most affectionate cousin and friend." |}
===Diplomatic usage=== A diplomatic ''note verbale'' always ends with an elaborate valediction, most commonly "[Sender] avails itself of this opportunity to renew to [recipient] the assurances of its highest consideration".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://translationjournal.net/journal/10dipl.htm|title=Diplomatic Translation|website=Translation Journal |access-date=11 April 2018}}</ref>
===Valedictions in e-mail=== Valedictions in formal e-mail are similar to valedictions in letters; on the whole, they are variations of "regards" and "yours".<ref name="netmanners.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.netmanners.com/email-etiquette/email-sign-off-considerations/ |website=Net M@nners |author=Kallos, Judith |title=Email Sign-off Considerations|access-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref> However, a wide range of popular valedictions are used in casual e-mail but very rarely in letters.<ref name="netmanners.com"/>
===Other forms=== *"Yours aye" is a Scottish expression meaning "Yours always", still commonly used as a valediction to end written correspondence in the Royal Navy and British Army,<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/modern_times/article4034543.ece "Walking down the street, opening doors and wearing hats at weddings"]{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''The Sunday Times''.</ref> and occasionally used by sailors or people working in a maritime context. It is commonly used in the Royal Australian Navy as a sign-off in written communication such as emails. *"Yours, etc." is used historically for abbreviated endings. It can be found in older newspaper letters to the editor, and often in US legal correspondence. "&c." may be seen as an alternative abbreviation of et cetera, the ampersand functioning as a ligature form of "et". "I am, etc." and "I remain, etc." are also used.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}
===United States military usage=== Current regulations of the United States Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy call for two complimentary closings for letters: "Respectfully yours" and "Sincerely". "Respectfully yours" is reserved for the president (and, for the Army only, the president's spouse) and the president-elect. "Sincerely" is used in all other cases.<ref>{{cite book |author=Department of Defense |title=Manual for Written Material: Correspondence Management|publisher= DoDM 5110.04-M-V1|date= October 26, 2010 |url=http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/511004m_v1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322213548/http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/511004m_v1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Joint Chiefs of Staff|title=Joint Staff Guide, DOM/SJS, JS Guide 5711|date= April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Editorial Guidance and Accepted Usage for Joint Staff Correspondence, Enclosure K, K-1 to K-10|url= http://www.dtic.mil/cjcs_directives/jdata/unlimit/g571101.pdf|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130705144108/http://www.dtic.mil/cjcs_directives/jdata/unlimit/g571101.pdf|url-status= dead|archive-date= July 5, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Army Regulation 25–50, Preparing and Managing Correspondence |date=6 July 2015 |url= http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r25_50.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040119065029/http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r25_50.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 19, 2004 |access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{citation |date=March 2010 |title=SECNAV Manual M-216.5 Appendix B, Civilian Models of Address, B1-B10 |url=http://www.sc.edu/nrotc/content/Documents/SECNAVINST%205216.5.pdf |access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Air Force Handbook 33-337, "Communications and Information" THE TONGUE AND QUILL |pages= 197–213 |date=27 May 2015 |url= http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/saf_cio_a6/publication/afh33-337/afh33-337.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130213203739/http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/saf_cio_a6/publication/afh33-337/afh33-337.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 13, 2013 |access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Navy-Corresp.-Man.">{{cite web|title=Department of the Navy Correspondence Manual|url=http://navybmr.com/study%20material/SECNAV%20M-5216.5%20(2015).pdf|publisher=US Department of the Navy|access-date=10 May 2018|archive-date=15 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715025624/http://navybmr.com/study%20material/SECNAV%20M-5216.5%20%282015%29.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> E-mail sent to other servicemembers uses "Very respectfully" (senior in rank to signer) and "Respectfully" (junior in rank to signer).<ref name="Navy-Corresp.-Man."></ref>
==Phrases from fictional works== *"Hasta la vista, baby" and "I'll be back", both popularized by ''The Terminator'' entertainment franchise *"Live long and prosper", a Vulcan salute from the ''Star Trek'' entertainment franchise *"May the Force be with you", a parting phrase from the ''Star Wars'' entertainment franchise
==See also== * Business letter * Greeting * Salutation * The Parting Glass
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{wiktionary}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20020603022433/http://www.askoxford.com/languages/fr/french_letters/ AskOxford: French valedictions for English speakers]
==Further reading== * {{cite book|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780965016070|url-access=registration|date=1997|editor=Speake, Jennifer |editor-link=Jennifer Speake |publisher= Oxford University Press|isbn= 0-19-863159-6}}
Category:Writing Category:Parting traditions Category:Parting phrases