saluta

Saluta is an Italian verb form derived from the verb salutare, meaning to greet or to salute. In standard Italian, salutare is a regular -are verb. The present indicative forms are io saluto, tu saluti, lui/lei saluta, noi salutiamo, voi salutate, loro salutano. The form saluta also occurs as the third-person singular present indicative, meaning he/she/it greets, and as the informal second-person singular imperative, meaning greet! The formal imperative for Lei is saluti. The noun related to the act of greeting is saluto.

The etymology traces saluta back to Latin salutare, related to salutus or salus, terms connected with health and well-being, and by extension with greetings in social settings. This connection underpins cognates in several Romance languages and the English word salute.

Usage and examples illustrate its two primary functions. As a present-tense verb, it reads in a sentence like: Lui saluta gli ospiti all’ingresso, meaning He greets the guests at the entrance. As an imperative, it appears as Saluta tua madre! meaning Greet your mother! For formal address, one would use Lei saluti.

Saluta itself is not typically used as a noun; the corresponding noun for the act of greeting is saluto. Related forms include other conjugations of salutare and the noun salute or salutare in compound expressions describing health or well-being. The term is primarily encountered in Italian grammar and everyday speech involving greeting actions.