hello
Meaning
-
- A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.
- A greeting used when answering the telephone.
- A call for response if it is not clear if anyone is present or listening, or if a telephone conversation may have been disconnected.
- (colloquial) Used sarcastically to imply that the person addressed has done something the speaker considers to be foolish, or missed something that should have been obvious.
- An expression of puzzlement or discovery.
Synonyms
how-do-you-do
call for someone
bye bye
on the phone
𐐸𐐯𐑊𐐬
hey there
hello you
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/həˈləʊ/
Etymology
Hello (first attested in 1826), from holla, hollo (attested 1588). This variant of hallo is often credited to Thomas Edison as a coinage for telephone use, but its appearance in print predates the invention of the telephone by several decades. Ultimately from a variant of Old English ēalā, such as hēlā, which was used colloquially at the time similarly to how hey and (in some dialects) hi are used nowadays. Thus, equivalent to a compound of hey and lo. Used when drawing attention to yourself. Possibly influenced by Old Saxon halo!, imperative of halōn (“to call, fetch”), used in hailing a ferryman, akin to Old High German hala, hola!, imperative forms of halōn, holōn (“to fetch”). More at hallo. OED and Merriam-Webster also suggested that it is a variant of holla, a variant of holloo. Further beyond, the origin remains uncertain. OED and Merriam-Webster suggested that it has a connection between hallow (“to shout, to cry out loud”), which came from Old French holloer. According to Altfranzösisches Wörterbuch, Old French holloer is from Old Saxon halon.
Bookmark this
Improve your pronunciation
Start learning English with learnfeliz.
Practice speaking and memorizing "hello" and many other words and sentences in English.
Go to our English course page
Notes
Sign in to write sticky notes
Questions