injunjane

Ahoj is an informal greeting used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, both when welcoming and saying goodbye. Etymologists at the Czech Language Institute believe the word entered Czech from the English “hoy”: a word originally used by seafarers. The word was used as a naval exclamation, used to attract the attention of, or warn, fellow crew members, or as a general greeting.

Of course, the Czech Republic is landlocked, and no one is quite sure how the term got here, but there are competing theories. Some believe that Czech boatmen brought it up the river with them from Hamburg, whereas others believe that recreational paddlers helped to spread this naval salutation through the countryside.

Meanwhile, others have claimed that the word originates in some rather spurious acronyms, from the religious Latin “Ad honorem Jesu” (for the honour of Jesus) or to the political “Adolfa Hitlera oběsíme jistě'' (we will surely hang Adolf Hitler).


I don't think the last two versions are true, because in fact there are more sailor's and marine sayings in Czech language.

The one I was totally charmed with was the metaphor for 'he's crazy'.
In Ukrainian we say 'в нього дах поїхав' (= the roof of his house has moved away)
In French they say 'il a une aragnée au plafond' (= he has a spider on his ceiling)

But the Czechs often say "šplouchá mu na maják" (= his lighthouse has been splashed over by the waves)

The captain of one and only wooden Czech sailing vessel (a replica) La Grace once told me that in spite Czechia has always been a landlocked country, Czech sailors and craftsmen were very welcome in foreign navy for their craftsmen skills. Apparently after returning back home from the sea they brought to their sea-less country a lot of marine metaphors like those ones :)

And now there is also a famous opposition political Czech party called Pirati (the Pirates).
That's so cute :)