We’re entering in spanish territory, but I would tend to use “adios” as meaning just “bye”, not as a permanent goodbye. But spanish being only a third language I’m really not fluent in : what would be the take of native or fluent speakers?
I added the question about canadian french as an afterthought, and the title was too long to write “canada”. I thought it could cross the mind of canadian posters that “Ca” could refer to their country.
If I had known “goodbye” meant something like “God be with you,” I might have stuck with it. For most people, I think, goodbye and farewell both mean, “I am (or you are) leaving, and I’m saying something polite.”
In the last few years, I have used “fare thee well.” It is more clearly is a heartfelt wish for good fortune. Yes, I know it’s quaint, but, hey I’m 55. I’m entitled to be quaint. It’s not an old habit for me. I never used “fare thee well” until about 5 years ago.
About ten years ago, if I was at a bar, I’d just leave without saying anything. An old friend ribbed me about it, saying, “Yeah, Nott just up and leaves, without so much as a kiss my ass.” So, I started saying, “See ya later. And Dave? Kiss my ass.” 
Goodbye, so long, see yuh, sayonara, farewell, I bid you adieu, take care should be pretty obvious to most of us as to their intent…laughing at someone who says farewell…is a total waste of energy…who cares?
Be good…till next time
Oy. Now I’ve got Dame Janet Baker stuck in my head, as the Angel in The Dream of Gerontius singing a reluctant song of parting to the Soul he (*) has just consigned to Purgatory:
Farewell, but not for ever, brother dear!
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow:
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
Farewell!
(* Yes, I know the Angel is sung by a soprano, but the Soul addresses him as male)
I said “goodbye” to a coworker a little while ago who absolutely freaked out, because “it means you’ll never see the person again!” Another coworker and I had no idea what she meant and were startled at the vehemence of her reaction. My coworker’s first language is Polish, I expect that the equivalent of “goodbye” does have that intimation in that language?
Anyway, I’ve been careful never to say that to her again.
Perhaps she was afraid that you were going to have her whacked.
To answer the rest of the OP, around here, “adieu” would certainly mean that you never expect to see the other person again. I don’t know if that would be the only meaning in Acadian French, though.
Um, excuse me? What on earth are you talking about?
Well, if she freaked out because you work with her everyday, and you said something that means you’ll never see that person again, it could be a, “Luka Brazzi sleeps with the fishes,” thing. Of course I don’t know your line of work - is it sanitation engineering?
Not only Spanish, that was my point - it was late last night so I’ll try and be clearer, although I may have got it wrong. Basically I was trying to say that the valediction referring to God is the most everyday form in English whereas in other languages it has an overtone of permanency. Similarly the ‘see you’ phrase is ubiquitous in other languages but very informal in English. Any imput from mother tongue speakers (or anyone with a better grasp than me ?). I think it’s a question of usage rather than pure translation. In anycase I think use of the ‘permanent’ valedicyion is falling by the wayside in the modern world with the net/e-mail/telephones etc.
French
Au revoir - ‘untiil the next time we see each other’, general everyday;
Adieu - ‘to God’, permanent;
A plus - much more informal
Italian (apologies for spelling)
Civeddiamo/Arriverderci - ‘untiil the next time we see each other’, general everyday;
Addio - ‘to God’, permanent
Ciao - much more informal
Polish (again apologies for spelling)
Do widzenia - ‘untiil the next time we see each other’, general everyday;
? - I wasn’t aware of a more permanent phrase/word, when I left my friends made a point of saying “we’ll see you again”
Czesc - much more informal
Spanish (varies fomr country to country)
Hasta luego/manana - ‘untiil the next time we see each other/tomorrw’, general everyday;
Adios - ‘to God’, permanent
German
Auf Wiedersehen - ‘untiil the next time we see each other’, general everyday;
Tschüss - much more informal
English
Goodbye - ‘to God’, general everyday
Farewell - permanent
See you - much more informal
There are (or used to be) standard German expressions corresponding to adieu in the meaning of a permanent parting (that the OP referred to): Ade (pronounced Adé) and Lebewohl (literally, live well) . But nowadays these standard-German usages are only familiar from poetry and songs; Lebewohl sounds too archaic for normal usage and Ade is now mainly known as the Swabian variant of Tschüss, i.e. for informal nonpermanent parting.
BTW both Ade and Tschüss derive from the French adieu, by different routes.
Thanks tschild - I found Lebewohl in an online dictionary but never having heard it didn’t dare include it in my list 
Japanese would actually be saraba for complete finality–like if you were about to run towards a giant robot with laser beams, carrying only a katana.
Saraba, tomoo yoooo!!! crunch
I realized that afterwards, and they probably would, but I thought it was kind of funny because California is often thought of as having it’s own special linguistic oddities (surfer speak, Valley-girl talk, etc).
I gotta add that “farewell”, at least in American English, sounds archaic. I would only saying it in a joking manner. As for “goodbey” being permanent… not in anywhere I’ve ever lived.
Is “abientot” (sp?) used much in French as a “see you soon” epxresion?
I agree that “goodbye” has connotations of finality. If you want to be very explicit, though, consider, “See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!”
Daniel
So, if someone says “goodbye” to you, do you say “no, I’m sure I’ll see you again soon” if you don’t think it’s final? I agree that “goodbye” can have that menaing, but only if there are other signals as well (eg, tears). Without any other contextual elements, “goodbye” is just “goodbye”.
If you want a feeling of finality, there’s always “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.”
Yes.
Spanish Adios is often interpreted by foreigners as meaning you never expect to see the other person. Hispanics don’t interpret it that way, but hey, who are we to correct Berlitz, it’s just our language.
“adiós”, “vaya con Dios” and “que le vaya bonito” can all be used in daily situations with no special connotation, each of them is just more usual in certain geographical locations; all of them get a meaning of “good riddance to bad trash” when you say it to someone in reference to a third person you never think you’ll suffer again.