200 years have passed since the first time the word “hello” appeared printed on paper, although its linguistic roots go back to the 15th century. Today, it is used dozens of times a day in phone calls, emails, and face-to-face meetings without a second thought. But how has the world’s greeting language evolved and what does it tell us about our societies?

“Hello” has become an inseparable part of popular culture, sung by Adele and Lionel Richie, become iconic phrases in films like Jerry Maguire or Scarface, and used to sell everything from mobile phones to underwear ads. The word has also entered the world of technology, software and celebrity magazines.

However, its history in written form is relatively short. On January 18, 1826, “hello” first appeared in a Connecticut newspaper, The Norwich Courier. It was a simple, almost invisible debut for a word that would go on to become the most familiar greeting in the English-speaking world.

By the 1850s, the word had crossed the Atlantic and was being used more and more frequently in Britain. Like greetings in other languages, “hello” also reflects the identity of its speakers. Its variations, from “hi” to “howdy” or elongated forms like “heyyy” can indicate age, geographical origin, and even emotional state.

According to linguistic anthropologist Alessandro Duranti from the University of California in Los Angeles, the intonation and form of the word can completely change its meaning. A prolonged “hello,” for example, can express surprise, disbelief, or irony. This ability to convey nuance through tone is not new: from its beginnings, the word was a mixture of influences from several languages ​​and cultures.

The exact origin of the word remains debatable. One theory links it to the Old German “halâ”, a call to attract the attention of sailors. The Oxford dictionary also mentions “halloo”, a hunting call, as well as early forms such as “hullo”, “hillo” or “holla”, the latter related to 15th century French.

According to Professor Simon Horobin from the University of Oxford, semantic and spelling changes are also related to regional dialects and pronunciation. For words used mainly in speech, such as “hello”, it is particularly difficult to establish a precise historical chronology.

By the end of the 19th century, “hello” was established as the standard form, also thanks to Thomas Edison, who promoted it as the most suitable greeting for the telephone. Its rivals proposed alternatives such as “ahoy”, but it was “hello” that won out.

As English standardized around “hello”, other languages ​​created their own greetings, often culturally charged. The Germanic and Scandinavian languages ​​use phonetically stronger forms such as “hallo” or “hallå”, while the Romance languages ​​prefer more melodic forms such as “hola” or “olá”.

In some cultures, greetings are associated with deeper concepts: the Greek “Γειά σου” expresses a wish for health, the Hebrew “shalom” means peace and wholeness, while the Hawaiian “aloha” expresses love and understanding. However, researchers caution against direct links between greetings and “national character”.

What is clear, says Duranti, is that greetings reflect social structures: the way we greet varies according to proximity, status and relationship with the other.

Technology has significantly changed the way we greet. In communication through messages and social networks, the greeting is often shortened or replaced by emoji. According to researcher Christian Ilbury from the University of Edinburgh, in an “always online” world, we no longer feel the need to say “hello” in every interaction.

However, just as in the 19th century, greetings today remain fickle and constantly changing. “Hello” has been lengthened, shortened, replaced or ignored, but its essence remains the same: an act of recognition, a way of announcing our presence and seeking, even silently, the other’s attention.

Source: prizrenpost