First person sneezes second person says Gesundheit.
What does the first person respond to Gesundheit?
What does the second person respond to the first persons response?
How far does it go and what is the meaning and origin?
2006-09-17 16:33:33 · 10 answers · asked by simon 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Unless someone was screwing with me, I heard two people go through about four or five different back and forth responses in what I took to be German words.
They said there were more but couldn't remember at the time.
Maybe they were different expressions in different languages like the Spanish "Salud."
2006-09-18 13:27:58 · update #1
There are different theories regarding the origin of this phrase. One idea is that the expression stems from the Middle Ages when the Bubonic Plague was threatening European health. In this case the person saying gesundheit was actually wishing good health upon themselves, since they may have been infected by the one who sneezed. During this time it was also commonly believed that sneezing made one's body vulnerable to evil spirits. Thus another plausible explanation is that gesundheit was a blessing to ward off demons while the sneezer's body was defenseless.
Superstitions date back as early as Ancient Greece (ref. Herodotus, History 440 BC). The soul was thought to leave the body through the nose upon death, so a powerful sneeze was thus considered an ominous event.
The following is a Jewish perspective on the custom: Although not technically part of Jewish Law (Halacha), the custom of saying gezuntheit, tzu gezunt, labreeyut, or God bless you is considered a mannerly custom. It is written in the Talmud that the Patriarch Jacob was the first person to become ill before passing on. Before that, people would sneeze and die. When God infused the soul into Man, He "blew it" into Adam's nostrils. Thus, when it came time for the soul to be returned to its Maker, it would leave through the same portal it arrived.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesundheit"
2006-09-17 16:43:35 · answer #1 · answered by Laura K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sneeze German Response
2017-01-19 20:23:57 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe it's German for the equivalent of bless you, just like in Spanish when they say Salud when you sneeze
2006-09-17 16:41:14 · answer #3 · answered by sassiest_princess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Used to wish good health to a person who has just sneezed.
[German, health, from Middle High German gesuntheit, from gesunt, healthy, from Old High German gisunt.]
2006-09-17 16:41:47 · answer #4 · answered by Jimdog 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Means good health. It's German.
2006-09-17 22:53:44 · answer #5 · answered by just me 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
"Gesundheit" is a german word that means Health
When a person tells you Gesundheit is like he or she is telling "God Bless You" and, if you like to answer in german you can say "Bitte schön" or just Thank You,
Auf Wiedersehen or Good-bye.
2006-09-17 16:51:06 · answer #6 · answered by World Citizen 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's German. And you're supposed to say "Danke" which is German for Thank you
2006-09-17 16:42:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means Good Health and you say thank you.
2006-09-17 16:36:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
it's Good Health in german. you cauld say thank you in return. or danke - thank you in german
2006-09-18 01:14:51 · answer #9 · answered by dianka(â?ªis a kidâ?ª)â?¢ 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
it's used by panty a-s-s liberals who are afraid to say "God bless you". as if they will be scolded by the likes of howard dean and ted kennedy. these jerks have never been to germany, nor do they know anything about the language.
2006-09-17 16:44:44 · answer #10 · answered by jphoetjes 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋