Godspeed

See also: godspeed, God-speed, and God speed

English

WOTD – 31 December 2022

Alternative forms

• God-speed, God speed, godspeed, good speed

Etymology

From Middle English god spede, god speid (“(adverb) quickly, speedily; (interjection) may God cause (someone) to succeed”), from god, God (“(Christianity) God; the Eucharist; non-Christian god or goddess; idol; deity, divine being; person or thing honoured as a god”) (from Old English god (“god”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew- (“to pour”), in the sense of a libation made to a god) + sped, spede, the singular subjunctive of speden (“to achieve one’s goal; to succeed (in something); to fare, get along; to conduct oneself well; to do well, prosper, thrive; to turn out well; to be advantageous, avail; to be of benefit or useful; to assist, help; to help (someone) be successful; to do or complete (something); to travel rapidly; to progress”) (from Old English spēdan (“to succeed”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- (“to prosper, succeed”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɡɒdˈspiːd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɡɑdˈspid/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːd
• Hyphenation: God‧speed

Interjection

Godspeed

1. (literary) Used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them.

   Synonyms: all the best, (archaic) fare thee well, farewell, goodbye, good luck

   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 184, column 2:

     3 [Citizen]. Neighbours, God ſpeed. / 1 [Citizen]. Giue you good morrovv ſir.

   • 1604, Thomas Dekker, Thomas Middleton, “The Honest Whore, […]”, in The Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker […], volume II, London: John Pearson […], published 1873, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 80:

     Duke. God ſpeed father. / 1. Mad[man]. God ſpeed the Plough, thou ſhalt not ſpeed me.

   • 1927, M[ohandas] K[aramchand] Gandhi, “Preparation for England”, in Mahadev Desai, transl., The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Translated from the Original in Gujarati, volume I, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Navajivan Press, →OCLC, part I, page 95:

     At the threshold of death, how dare I give you permission to go to England, to cross the seas? But I will not stand in your way. It is your mother's permission which really matters. If she permit you, then godspeed! Tell her I will not interfere. You will go with my blessings.

   • 1962 February 20, Scott Carpenter, quotee, “Godspeed, John Glenn”, in USA Today‎^[1], McLean, Va.: Gannett Co., published 8 December 2016, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-07-09:

     So all of America watched at 9:47 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1962, as [John] Glenn took off from Cape Canaveral. Scott Carpenter, backup astronaut for the mission, famously said: "Godspeed, John Glenn."

   • 2007 May 12, Peter Steinfels, “At commencement, a call for religious literacy”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-11-26:

     So, class of 2007, join in. And godspeed.

   • 2008, Ron Benrey, Janet Benrey, chapter 14, in Season of Glory (Love Inspired Suspense), New York, N.Y.: Steeple Hill Books, →ISBN, page 155:

     Thanks, Gordie. May you live long and stay well, too. Godspeed.

Related terms

• God bless you
• God forbid
• godsend
• God willing

Translations

used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them

• Arabic: بِالتَّوْفِيق (bi-t-tawfīq), فِي مَعِيَّة اللّٰه (fī maʕiyya(t) allāh)

  Egyptian Arabic: بتوفيق (betaufiʔ), ربنا معاك (rabena maʕaak)

• Bulgarian: на до́бър ча́с (na dóbǎr čás)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一路順風／一路顺风 (zh) (yīlùshùnfēng)

• Dutch: ga met God, succes (nl) n
• Esperanto: bonan kuraĝon, bonŝancon
• Estonian: Õnnelikku reisi
• Finnish: onnea matkaan
• French: bonne chance (fr), bon courage (fr), que Dieu soit avec toi/vous
• German: viel Erfolg!
• Greek: καλή τύχη (kalí týchi), καλό κατευόδιο (kaló katevódio)
• Hebrew: בהצלחה (he) (behatzlaha)
• Irish: go soirbhí Dia dhuit
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: oxira xêrê be (ku)

• Latvian: ar Dievpalīgu
• Lithuanian: Sudie
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Gud være med deg, lykke til

• Polish: powodzenia (pl), szczęść Boże (pl), z Bogiem (pl)
• Portuguese: vai com Deus
• Russian: пожела́ние уда́чи n (poželánije udáči), с богом (s bogom)
• Spanish: buena suerte, vaya con Dios
• Swedish: lycka till (sv)
• Turkish: iyi yolculuklar, yolun açık olsun, hayırlı yolculuklar, selametle

See also

• well-wisher

Noun

Godspeed (countable and uncountable, plural Godspeeds) (literary)

1. (uncountable) The wishing of someone a smooth journey, or success, especially at a parting; (countable) a statement expressing this.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, 2 John:[10–11], folio ccc, recto:

     Yff there come eny vnto you and brynge not this learnynge⸝ hym receave not to houſſe: nether bid hym god ſpede. For he that biddeth hym God ſpede⸝ is part taker off his evyll dedes.

   • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, →OCLC, page 18:

     Then Chriſtian took his leave of his Friend, and he again bid him God ſpeed.

   • 1696 November (first performance), [John Vanbrugh], The Relapse; or, Virtue in Danger: […], [London]: […] Samuel Briscoe […], published 1697, →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, page 90:

     Ber[inthia]. Speed her vvell. / VVor[thy]. Ay, but there muſt be more than a God ſpeed, or your Charity vvon't be vvorth a farthing.

   • 1848, Acton Bell [pseudonym; Anne Brontë], “The Warnings of Experience”, in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. […], volume I, London: T[homas] C[autley] Newby, […], →OCLC, page 279:

     He never danced himself, and there he sat, poking his head in my face, and impressing all the beholders with the idea that he was a confirmed, acknowledged lover; my aunt looking complacently on, all the time, and wishing him God-speed.

   • 1875 January–December, Henry James, Jr., “Rowland”, in Roderick Hudson, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co., published 1876, →OCLC, page 28:

     [I]n the morning, as Rowland at the garden gate was giving his hostess Godspeed on her way to church, he came striding along the grassy margin of the road and out-whistling the music of the church bells.

   • 1884 November 1, “Thon”, in J[eanette] L[eonard], J[oseph] B[enson] Gilder, editors, The Critic: A Literary Weekly, Critical and Eclectic, volume II, number 44, New York, N.Y.: The Good Literature Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 210, column 1:

     Mr. C[harles] C[rozat] Converse's new pronoun [thon] of the singular number and common gender has met with a warm welcome from philologists and the press. […] The new word has received a number of godspeeds, some of which we quote.

   • 1914 June, James Joyce, “A Little Cloud”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC, page 84:

     Eight years before he had seen his friend off at the North Wall and wished him godspeed.

2. (countable, figuratively)
   1. (archaic) Chiefly in in the Godspeed of: the most important part of something, or point at which something happens; also, the last minute or last moment.
      • 1667, Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, “The Sixth Vision of Hell”, in R[oger] L[’Estrange], transl., The Visions of Dom Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, […], London: […] H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC, page 247:

        But a Devil came in juſt in the God-ſpeed, and told them; Gentlemen Philoſophers, (ſays he) if you vvould knovv the VVretched'ſt, and moſt contemptible thing in the VVorld; It is an Alchymiſt: […]

      • 1688, Roger L’Estrange, “Bedloe and Prance Swore to the Plot as well as to the Murther”, in A Brief History of the Times, &c. Part III. Treating of the Death of Sir E[dmund] B[erry] Godfrey, London: […] R. Sare, […], →OCLC, part I, page 19:

        But juſt in the Godſpeed, the Plot vvas Diſcover'd.

      • 1941, Flora Thompson, “‘A Bit of a Tell’”, in Lark Rise to Candleford: A Trilogy, London: Penguin Books, published 1945 (1973 printing), →ISBN, page 291:

        I udn't mind seeing her come in when I was in the godspeed of washday, and that's saying something.

        Originally published in Over to Candleford (1941).

   2. (originally Ireland) In back of Godspeed: a distant, remote, or unknown place.

      Synonym: back of beyond

      • 1858, Anthony Trollope, “Frank Gresham’s First Speech”, in Doctor Thorne. […], volume I, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 124:

        If I don't leave you at the back of God-speed before long, I'll give you the mare and the horse too.

      • 1908 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “Getting Married”, in The Doctor’s Dilemma, Getting Married, & The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet, London: Constable and Company, published 1911, →OCLC, Act, page 278:

        mrs george. I have earned the right to speak. I have dared: I have gone through: I have not fallen withered into the fire: I have come at last out beyond, to the back of Godspeed. / the bishop. And what do you see there, at the back of Godspeed?

Translations

wishing of someone a speedy journey, or success, especially at a parting; a statement expressing this

• Finnish: onnentoivotus

most important part of something, or point at which something happens

• Finnish: käännekohta (fi), kohokohta (fi)

last minute or last moment — see last minute

Further reading

• Godspeed (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia