what are the origins of hi, hey, hello? - English Language Usage . . . 'Hey' ( perhaps originally a natural expression) appears to be at the origin of 'hi', while 'hello' seems to have no connection with the previous two terms and a different origin (mainly as a telephone greeting) Hi: greeting, 1862, American English (first recorded reference is to speech of a Kansas Indian), originally to attract attention (15c ), probably a variant of Middle English hy, hey
differences - The use of hey in North America - English Language . . . 'Hey, is for horses' is a complete non-sequitur It can be used as either a pithy bon mot to jostle a friend, or a snide comment to completely distract and put off a mere acquaintance Any reasonable person who is non-confrontational and relatively interested in the conversation will more than likely never say it unless you know them well
Do interjections like “but hey” have commas between them? For example: “But hey, at least now you know ” As opposed to, “But, hey, at least now you know ” The question also applies to other interjections like “hey son” and “oh well ” What is the correct usage?