English word origin

Etymology of hi

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 he

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

intj

A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival. · An exclamation to call attention. · Expressing wonder or derision.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionheyenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "hey"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English hey"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "American English",
      "American English"
    ],
    [
      "hey",
      "hey#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "hy",
      "hy#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "circa",
      "circa"
    ],
    [
      "hey",
      "hey#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Tok Pisin",
      "lang_code": "tpi",
      "word": "hai"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "lang_code": "zh",
      "word": "嗨",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "hāi"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "lang_code": "zh",
      "word": "hi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "hi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "lang_code": "hi",
      "word": "हेलो",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "helo"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "lang_code": "is",
      "word": "hæ",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Malay",
      "lang_code": "ms",
      "word": "hai",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "lang_code": "ml",
      "word": "ഹായ്",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "hāyŭ"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "lang_code": "vi",
      "word": "hai",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival.",
        "An exclamation to call attention.",
        "Expressing wonder or derision."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "0dc9da09e00362c0f1f994ed010433e155cdc7330478ac72e5d945824188dafe",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a7ecb95b611621295baaa4a705bbfcb9bce061d6c2ee1000f0ff814f5792dd7d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19815
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

The word "hi" used as a greeting.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionheyenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "hey"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English hey"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "American English",
      "American English"
    ],
    [
      "hey",
      "hey#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "hy",
      "hy#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "circa",
      "circa"
    ],
    [
      "hey",
      "hey#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The word \"hi\" used as a greeting."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "a55043fb111e4d3c712da70a8b8aa04ff2e32a9d7d9afd8438909e950e507202",
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Informal spelling of high, often in hyphenated terms.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From high.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "high",
      "high#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Informal spelling of high, often in hyphenated terms."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "f0c6b6bb1814c7914a41ed8ebf9dcf7d541bcfcbbd4aff5c318795af96f7a665",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9eefaa9c699c7e992a5fcd71e55b0a6474b9878805b406582c650324d31e80c0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 19817
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for hi →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-aGk