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Answer:

One suggestion/theory I have read is that it comes from Old French "hola!", or "ho, la!", meaning "stop, there!" Over time it split into variants, becoming different ways to gain someone's attention, and eventually became a greeting as well.

Another answer:

The word derives from any noise made by a person to attract someones attention. The word used in the English language came from Old High German as Hala or Hola, or Halon or Holon ( a word used to attract a Ferryman) The word Hello also connects to a French word Ho La, roughly meaning Whoa There. It is also a word shouted loudly at the Hunt, in olden times, to indicate finding a quarry. Thomas Edison used the word when demonstrating/using a telephone

Further information:

Hai is the standard greeting in Norway so maybe it might of come from immigrants from Norway.

Further information:

The word 'hello', with that spelling, was first recorded in English in 1883. The word 'hi' is first recorded in American English in 1862.

English-speakers in the late 1500s began using 'hullo', which itself came from words such as 'holla', 'hollo', 'hola', and so on. These words share their origins with terms such 'hey', 'ahoy', and the cry of 'halleluja': all are expressions of greeting, warning, farewell, rejoicing, and so on, designed to attract attention. They are reflected in many ancient and modern languages, and originated with the vocalization into words of early human shouts to attract attention.

We still, when suddenly alarmed, expressing great joy, or otherwise trying to quickly gain the attention of others, make involuntary sounds which come close to 'hello!', 'hola!', 'hi!', 'hiya!', and so on.

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14y ago

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