Background on "Hi"

Posted by R. Berg on October 03, 2002

In Reply to: Background on "Hi" posted by Scot on October 03, 2002

: Anyone have the scoop on "hi"? As far as it pertains to a greeting or derivation of "hello"
: Thanks.

"Hi" preceded "hello." The Oxford English Dictionary says "hi" is a "parallel form of HEY." The first recorded uses of these interjections in writing: "hi," the year 1475; "hey," 1225; "hello" (a variant of "hallo"), 1883.