English
hi
Hi is American English, first recorded in 1862, probably a variant of Middle English hey.
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English hi
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1862, Miriam Davis Colt, Went to Kansas: “When out on the prairie, up galloped an Indian…”.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500heyWiktionary, English hiuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1862hiWiktionary, English hi. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1862, Miriam Davis Colt, Went to Kansas: “When out on the prairie, up galloped an Indian…”
first attested 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) (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)
The story
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).
Word family
English words that share an ancestor with hi, grouped by the ancestor they share, most familiar first.
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Today it means
intj A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “hi”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Middle English hey / hi