Etymology

hi

H4I1

Today it means: A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival. Full definition →

Middle English hey
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hi · interjection, noun1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromhey
  2. English todayhi

American English. First recorded reference is to speech of a Kansas Indian (1862); originally to attract attention, probably a variant of Middle English hey, hy (circa 1475). Also an exclamation to call attention. See hey.

hi · adjective2

From high.

Hi · proper noun3

Clipping of Hiram.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishhey all →

heyhay

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.