Ahoy /Ahoj

AHOY Captain!!

So did you realise that the Czech greeting 'ahoj' was actually imported from Britain? In fact, the word 'ahoy' is a common greeting among sailors. But how did this nautical expression enter a country which is so far from the sea?

From what I can find out, a lot of Czechs ran away to Britain to join the Royal Navy during the First World War. In doing so they picked up the term 'ahoy' from the Naval Officers and later brought it back to the Czech (and Slovak) lands .

The actual origin of the word 'ahoy' is probably from 'a hoy': a hoy is a small coaster ship, usually sloop-rigged, used in transporting passengers and goods from place to place.

So just think next time you walk down the street, bump into your friend, and say 'Ahoj!', in reality you are just saying 'A ship!'.

Strange.........