Don't Call Me 'Dear': Googling a Puzzling Greeting

[jtbell]

I've occasionally seen posts (obviously by non native English speakers) which start out with something like "hello dear", or "hello dears". I've managed to refrain from responding "don't call me 'dear', only my wife gets to call me that". Just now I saw "hi dears" again, and did a Google search:

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="hi+dears"

 

[ZapperZ]

Is it just a bad translator?

I typically get that from spammers, and even once via PM on here. I told the member that it was very condescending, and he said he didn't realize that it was.

Zz.

 

[Borek]

I always suspected it is a lousy translation of an "opening honorific" used in some language. It happens way too often to be random.

 

[JorisL]

At least it's not "Hi deers".
Not only is it deer but I don't identify as a deer.

If it's a bad translation, these people building translators seem to a bad job.

 

[jtbell]

I always suspected it is a lousy translation of an "opening honorific" used in some language.

That's my suspicion also. "Dears" is probably a literal translation of something that doesn't have the same connotations in the original language that "dear" (as a noun) has in English. It probably has the same function that "Hi friends" or "Hi y'all" etc. have in English.

 

[WWGD]

I have seen the term used widely. As in emails addressed , Dear Professor, Dear Students, Dear Mr. so-and-so. Maybe it is a regional thing.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

I think "Dear Professor" is in appropriate use of the formal salutation. "Hi dears" is a bizarre hybrid of informal followed immediately by formal. I'm sure it's a common translator error but I'd be interested to know what it originally means because it's literally "[informal greeting] [formal greeting]"

If this is an Indian language thing do we have any Indian members reading that want to chime in?

 

[Borek]

Next time I see it I will check the IP of the OP.

 

[jtbell]

As in emails addressed , Dear Professor, Dear Students, Dear Mr. so-and-so.

Yes, that's entirely appropriate for a formal business-letter type e-mail. For a casual e-mail or forum posting it strikes me as too formal. "Hi dears" simply looks bizarre.

 

[e.bar.goum]

There's also "Dear Sir". My usual response is to just close the tab, since the OP clearly doesn't want an answer from me.

(Also, "I have a doubt" instead of "I have a question" -- I've heard this often enough in person that I'm fairly sure that this is an Indian-who-speaks-English thing).

 

[jtbell]

There's also "Dear Sir".

And "Dear Sir or Madam".

 

[e.bar.goum]

And "Dear Sir or Madam".

Slightly better. I might respond to that.

 

[Lisa!]

Okey darlings!

 

[collinsmark]

I think "Dear Professor" is in appropriate use of the formal salutation. "Hi dears" is a bizarre hybrid of informal followed immediately by formal. I'm sure it's a common translator error but I'd be interested to know what it originally means because it's literally "[informal greeting] [formal greeting]"

If this is an Indian language thing do we have any Indian members reading that want to chime in?

In the days of snail mail nearly all letters among English speakers invariably started with "Dear <insert name here>," if the letter, formal or otherwise, was addressed to any specific person. Even if one was writing a formal letter directed to the president of the United States, it would begin (after the heading) "Dear Mr. President,".

With the advent of email a less formal tone began, and emails often began with "Hi <name>," or "Hello <name>,". That, and the comma that followed the name was sometimes replaced by the less formal exclamation mark (as in "Hi Mr. President!")

Then Usenet News came about, along with bulletin boards and Internet forums, and all niceties were thrown out the window only to be sacrificed in a bloodthirsty, ritualistic bonfire of flames and scorn.

---

But yeah, that "Hi dears" does seem to be some sort of weird hybrid of the first two. I highly suspect it at least started as a misappropriation due to writing in English as a second language. But maybe it has caught on? That's the weird and chaotic thing about the English language: it's always changing, little by little.

 

[WWGD]

And "Dear Sir or Madam".

And Dear Sir, Madam, or whatever else you may happen to be ( it exists now, after I just made it up.)

 

[Mark44]

At least it's not "Hi deers".
Not only is it deer but I don't identify as a deer.

Would you like "Hi deer" better? This form has the advantage of being grammatically correct, since the plural of "deer" is also "deer."

 

[WWGD]

And Dear Sir, Madam, or whatever else you may happen to be ( it exists now, after I just made it up.)

As long it is not a Dear John letter... (which would be strange, since I am not dating anyone).

 

[berkeman]

Interesting -- it looks like it may not be a software translation issue..

http://english.stackexchange.com/qu...o-show-affection-or-for-official-use-in-india

Indian here. So I've been called 'dear' in some situations where it felt weird. And in all of them, the speaker was mostly trying to communicate familiarity and affection. See, when we speak in Hindi, we generally add a word like 'bhai' (brother) or 'sahab' (sir). So the 'dear' is probably an attempt to showcase their affection for you. They just don't know that such usage is uncommon and that there are other phrases to convey the same emotion.

A person who my dad was consulting texted me asking for some info. When I gave it to him, he said "Thank you, dear." He would never call me dear to my face or on phone, so I think this meant, "Hey, thanks a lot, man. Bye." in textspeak.

Having clarified that, PLEASE NEVER EVER CALL A GIRL OR WOMAN DEAR WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW THEM VERY WELL. The traditional people would balk at your forwardness and the open minded people would react the way you'd expect an American (assuming a random country) to react: "Is he alright? He's acting weird." And don't call males 'dear' either. I can't predict their reaction but you'd be better off avoiding it altogether.

Indian female here. I second this answer. I too have noticed that a lot of Indians have a habit of saying 'hi dear' or 'hello dear' when they really want to say 'hi dear friend' or 'dear xyz'. If they do not know you at all or you are their senior at work, they will say 'hi sir' (or 'hi madam' to a lady) out of respect. You can let them know like @Andy356 suggested and teach the right thing.

So it may just be short for "Hello Dear Sir"...