Are Hello and Hi Interchangeable Greetings?
“hello hi”
Summary
Hello and hi are both English salutations. Hi is a more informal form that developed from Middle English “hy” and predates the modern spelling of hello, which first appeared in print in 1826. Both terms are used to greet people.
Sources 20 searched
- BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - Hello, Hey and Hi – the meanings behind greetings
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor ... vocabulary. While "Hi!" was also used to greet people from a distance, it was originally intended to be used on horseback, but is now a more informal way of saying "Hello"....
- Hello - Wikipedia
Hello (often "hi" in modern English for frequent use) is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Hello, with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 January 1826 edition of the Norwich Courier of Norwich, ...
- Why Do We Say “Hello” and “Hi”? | Dictionary.com
Hi is equivalent to hello, but it is considered a little bit more informal in tone. In fact, it was recorded a lot earlier than hello. Hi developed from the Middle English hy, similar to hey and ha.
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