Greeting (correspondence)

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When writing letters, a form of address and a greeting or closing formula ( French formule de courtoisie ) are common at the end of the letter. The choice of linguistic means depends on the type of text. Depending on the type of text, the rules for drafting are also available in the form of sets of rules, such as for letters in letter boxes . It is only used once, i.e. not after a postscript .

A greeting is also a part of the chancellery ceremonial and is used there for different types of text (documents, chancellery letters (lettre de cérémonie) , cabinet letters (lettre de cabinet) , handwriting (chirografo) , etc.).

history

In the Middle Ages , letter formulas such as "datum die nativitatis S. Ioannis AD [= anno Domini] MCCCL" were common ( Latin for: "given on the day of the birth of John the Baptist in the year of the Lord 1350").

DIN

For the greeting, especially for business correspondence, the specifications of DIN 5008 and DIN 676 can be used, which formally describe the greeting. Accordingly, it must be separated from the text of the letter with a blank line and ends without a period. The signature below, in turn, requires three more blank lines if a postscript and / or annex follows. A typewritten repetition of the signer's name is considered polite - unless the name is already clear on a personal letterhead.

General greetings

  • "Greetings" / "Best regards" / "Greetings"
  • "With kind / best / best regards (s)"
  • "With kind / best / best regards"
  • "Greetings (you) ... (name) "
  • "Many greetings from ... (place of residence / region) "
  • "Greetings to ... (place / region) "

After the greeting, no punctuation is to be used in German, unless the greeting is part of the last sentence, in which case the regular punctuation and upper and lower case applies; however, there is no period at the end of the sentence. In the Anglo-Saxon-speaking area, there is a comma in certain cases.

Diplomatic greetings

Diplomatic greeting (Swiss Ambassador Benedikt von Tscharner , 1971)

Following the French ceremonial, a diplomatic note is usually concluded with a special closing formula:

  • I am happy to use this occasion to assure your Excellency ..., (again) my ... respect.
  • Approve ... the assurance of my ... respect.

Got it

  • the Apostolic Nuncio , Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors and Envoys the "very excellent respect"
  • a chargé d'affaires, an embassy counselor the "excellent respect"
  • all other foreign diplomats the "excellent respect".

Greetings for business letters

Neutral, very often used:

  • "Best regards"
  • "Friendly greetings"
  • "Sincerely)"
  • "Best Regards"

Today, especially in official letters:

  • "Sincerely"
  • "With excellent respect"

However, these two greetings have been greatly reduced in use since they appear quite formal. In business dealings, they may therefore be perceived as impolite by some addressees, because the courtesy inherent in them cannot necessarily be equated with a greeting - it is important that in these formulas no (friendly) greeting is consciously pronounced, but as a last resort Form is merely an expression of respect, d. H. Respect for the correspondent takes place, for example in the case of the last reminder before the initiation of judicial dunning proceedings. In correspondence among lawyers , the formula “With (excellent) respect from colleagues” is considered extremely impolite, but it is common among doctors .

Special company correspondence:

  • "With the best recommendation"
  • "With best recommendations"
  • "With best regards"
  • "With the very best wishes"

Only suitable for business correspondence, especially if something is attached (documents, information, free goods) or if the company actually recommends itself for services or as a supplier of goods.

Example of a complete closing formula in a business letter:

We thank you for your cooperation and remain
with best regards,

Bankhaus Haßloch & Cie. KGaA
ppa. Dr. Markus Possible

In the example, contrary to popular belief, no period is to be placed after the greeting, although this is part of the last sentence and therefore, as an exception, regular punctuation and upper and lower case applies.

Greetings for private correspondence

Neutral:

  • "Best wishes"
  • "Best regards"
  • "Friendly greetings"

Special greetings:

  • "With best regards from ... (place) "
  • "Greetings from the sunny ... (place) "
  • "With best regards to ... (place) "

Friendly:

  • "Best regards"
  • "Kind regards"
  • "Best regards"
  • "In connection"
  • "With best wishes"
  • "Bye (s)," (with comma)
  • "Servus," (with comma)
  • "See you soon," (with comma)

More intimate or familiar relationships:

  • "Many greetings"
  • "Lovely wishes"
  • "All the best"
  • "All the best"

instead of or in addition to the above closing formulas, “your” or “your” is often placed in front of one's own (first) name, e. B .:

  • "In love, your (s) ..."

Special greetings for certain addressees

In addition to general greetings for business and private correspondence, there are a large number of special greetings that are used when writing to specific addressees. These are mostly used in connection with public , church or diplomatic offices . Knowing and using addressee-related greetings (e.g. "complete respect" for the German Federal President) is usually an expression of good education and manners on the part of the writer. At the same time, it expresses respect for the social role of the addressee. Conversely, the deliberate non-use of special greetings can often be understood as an expression of the writer's disregard for the addressee or the social function he performs. Since there are a large number of special greetings and their correct use can be of great social importance, a special branch of etiquette literature has developed in which the various forms of addressee-related forms of address and greetings are recorded.

Examples of addressing high officials:

  • Federal President: "complete respect"
  • President of the German Bundestag: "very good respect"
  • Federal Chancellor: "very good respect"
  • President of the Federal Council: "very good respect"
  • President of the Federal Constitutional Court: "very good respect"
  • Federal Minister: "Excellent respect"
  • Prime Minister: "Excellent respect"
  • excellent respect
  • special respect

Special greetings within certain groups

Greetings that are only used between members of a certain group (e.g. "with union greetings" among union members ), have the purpose of strengthening the feeling of belonging to a group ("we trade unionists") and to distinguish themselves from third parties ("non-trade unionists") . The use or avoidance of such greetings can also express how much individual members identify with the group and the manners that are maintained there. Finally, she puts the correspondence in the context of group membership. Conversely, not using the phrase “union greetings” in a letter between two union members can make it clear that the content of the letter is expressly not a union membership issue.

Christian greetings

  • "Warmest blessings"
  • "Dear Blessings" (more confidential)
  • "Connected in Christ" (also "Connected in Christ", "Connected in Him", "Connected in Christ's blood")
  • "With brotherly greetings", "With brotherly and sisterly greetings"
  • "Greetings and blessings"
  • "With ecumenical greeting"
  • "In fraternal / fraternal bond"
  • In papal encyclicals : “Given in Rome, at Saint Peter , on TT. MM, the feast ... of the year YYYY, the nth year of our pontificate ”(still common today); Example: "Given in Rome, at Saint Peter, on March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation of the year 1987, the ninth year of our pontificate"

With reference to associations or associations

  • “With trade union greeting” - greeting for business letters from trade unionists.
  • "With sporty greetings" - for content on the subject of sports.
  • "With equestrian greetings" - among riders.
  • "With sign-friendly greetings" - greeting between the deaf, hard of hearing and sign language speakers.
  • "With aviator salute", "Good luck, good land" - this greeting is used by aviators and pilots; next to it (old): “many happy landings”, new: “happy landings”; "Blue Sky".
  • "With comradely greetings" - greeting between active soldiers and reservists and among comrades in the fire brigade.
  • "With friendly greetings" - greeting for the same profession, e.g. B. between doctors or lawyers.
  • "With solidarity (or socialist / social democratic) greetings" - a widespread greeting in the political left .
  • "With nationwide fraternal greetings" - between frat same connection.
  • "With best wishes" and a. Also common among corps students .
  • "Good path" - greeting of the scout movement .
  • "Gut Wehr" - greeting from the voluntary fire brigades in Austria.
  • "With brotherly greetings from the corps" - between corps students of the same corps .
  • "With fraternity greetings" - between fraternity members .
  • "With fraternal greeting" - between friars.
  • “With socialist greeting” - outdated greeting in the GDR.
  • "With a shooting salute" - among sport shooters.
  • “With Rotarian greetings” - among members of the Rotary service organization
  • “With carnival greetings” or “With foolish greetings” - in carnival clubs.
  • "With chess greetings" - between chess friends (same club membership not required).
  • "Vy 73" or "vy 73 de <first name>, <call sign>" - between radio amateurs , the abbreviations " vy " (for "very") and "de" (from) as well as the code 73 (for "cordial greetings." “) Come from telegraphy.
  • "Please approve, Mr. / Mrs. ... / Your Excellency, the expression of my excellent respect" - full diplomatic greeting.
  • "! Sincerely Glückauf" - in mining in business and personal correspondence, as well as the Montanist used college as a form of greeting.
  • "Lulu" - greeting from Schlaraffia
  • “Ahoy!” - outdated greeting among seafarers

Outdated greetings

The following formulas are now out of date and no longer recommended, they sound out of date:

  • "With the expression of my excellent respect"
  • "With best regards, I am your devoted (name) "
  • "With best regards, I am your devoted servant"
  • "With the greatest respect and admiring respect, I remain in humble hope"
  • "Dying in awe (addressee) most submissive (name)"

Correspondence between authorities

Ordinary official letters to another authority usually do not contain a closing formula, only the name and, if applicable, the official title and, if applicable, the professional function are given.

Abbreviations

In some areas, especially in electronic correspondence and Internet forums, abbreviations are used for greetings. See list of abbreviations (network jargon) .

  • "MfG", "mfg" - "Sincerely"
  • "MlG", "mlg" - "With liberal greetings"
  • "MsG", "msg" - "With solidarity / social democratic greeting"
  • "LG", "lg" - "Greetings"
  • "VG", "vg" - "Best regards"
  • "SG", "sg" - "Greetings"
  • "Hav", "hav" - "Yours faithfully"

Prohibited greeting in a specific context

In Germany it is punishable according to § 86a StGB ( use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations ), the greeting formula

to be used in letters "whose external design and content clearly show that this is what is meant in National Socialist parlance", if the "passing on" of the letter is "aimed at making the text of its substance accessible to a larger group of people, whereby this must be so large in number and individuality that the perpetrator can no longer control it [...]. For this purpose, passing it on to specific third parties is not sufficient if it is not certain that the third party will in turn leave the writing to other people. "

See also

literature

  • Theodor Graf Finck von Finckenstein: Advisor of protocol. Notes on personal addresses and salutations in public life . 3rd edition, Cologne 1998.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Duden, Vol. 9, Gutes und Richtiges Deutsch, 7th edition, 2011, p. 198.
  2. ↑ Where does the sequence of digits 73 come from. In: www.seefunknetz.de. Retrieved July 19, 2016 .
  3. ↑ eur-lex.europa.eu (PDF) .
  4. ^ Uwe Meves: German Philology at the Prussian Universities in the 19th Century: Documents on the Institutionalization Process . Walter de Gruyter, 2011, ISBN 978-3-11-017928-6 ( google.de [accessed October 30, 2018]).
  5. ↑ Federal Court of Justice , judgment of September 8, 1976 - 3 StR 280/76 = BGHSt 27, 1 (guiding principle)
  6. ↑ Federal Court of Justice, decision of May 16, 2012 - 3 StR 33/12 , p. 5 f., With reference to the BGH judgment of December 22, 2004 - 2 StR 365/04 , p. 8 f. = NJW 2005, 689, 690, and on the Federal Constitutional Court , decision of November 9, 2011 - 1 BvR 461/08 .
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