Where did the phrase 'You're welcome' come from?

Answer 1

It originates from Ireland, and is generally used by Irish immigrants.

I've often caught my English teacher, who was born in Ireland, saying "Thank you kindly", which gives away her Irish heritage. (Though her lilting accent is blatantly obvious, not to mention she listed her hobbies as "Irish dancing and stealing gold from leprechauns"...)

Answer 2

"You're welcome" is the grammatical combination of the Old English word "wilcume" ("wil"-"cume"; or "pleasure"-"come"). In German, "wilkommen". An Old French greeting was " bienvenu" (literally 'well come'). In the Middles Ages, the English language greeting evolved to "welcome".

To say "wilcume" meant "I am pleased that you came". To say "you're welcome" means "you came well". Although used in informal settings and among acquiantenances, "no problem" , "think nothing of it", "it was nothing" or similarly deprecative replies are not literal equivalents of you're welcome".

In modern usage when one has received something, one expresses gratitude or shows appreciation by saying, "Thank You". The reply is "you're welcome", even if the one giving something has a duty or responsibility to do so or is in a superior relational position (ex.: a clerk at a store, waitstaff at a restaurant, a parent after giving an allowance, or an employer hiring an employee).