Etymology of ごちそうさまでした


> **Possible Duplicate:**  
>  [About ご[馳走]{ちそう}: two “runs” would give you “a
> feast”?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/172/about-%e3%81%94%e9%a6%b3%e8%b5%b0%e3%81%a1%e3%81%9d%e3%81%86-two-%e2%80%9cruns%e2%80%9d-would-
> give-you-%e2%80%9ca-feast%e2%80%9d)

ごちそうさまでした gochisousamadeshita 【ご馳走様でした · 御馳走様でした】

expression: That was a delicious meal (said after meals); What a wonderful
meal

(lit. You were a Feast (preparer))

Is the literal translation here accurate, and is there a longer phrase that
preceded this contemporary one?




The [語源由来辞典](http://gogen-allguide.com/ko/gochisou.html) says, the term 馳走
"feast" has its origin in the fact that in order to prepare a feast, the host
would have to dispatch horses in order to get all the ingredients.

As for the literal translation, I would say that 様 is not a suffix for a
person (like さん, etc.), but closer to the meaning of 様子. (Same for お陰様, ご苦労様,
お待ち遠様.) So that the phrase translates, also literally, to

> ご馳走様でした。  
>  It was a feast.

The phrase ご馳走様 dates back only to the latter half of the Edo period. Before
that, the phrase 馳走になった was used in the sense of お手数をかけました "Sorry for the
inconvenience/Thank you for your troubles".




The [語源由来辞典](http://gogen-allguide.com/ko/gochisou.html) says, the term 馳走
"feast" has its origin in the fact that in order to prepare a feast, the host
would have to dispatch horses in order to get all the ingredients.

As for the literal translation, I would say that 様 is not a suffix for a
person (like さん, etc.), but closer to the meaning of 様子. (Same for お陰様, ご苦労様,
お待ち遠様.) So that the phrase translates, also literally, to

> ご馳走様でした。  
>  It was a feast.

The phrase ご馳走様 dates back only to the latter half of the Edo period. Before
that, the phrase 馳走になった was used in the sense of お手数をかけました "Sorry for the
inconvenience/Thank you for your troubles".

