Who said hello first?
The use of hello as a telephone greeting has been credited to Thomas Edison; according to one source, he expressed his surprise with a misheard Hullo.
Hello is first recorded in the early 1800s, but was originally used to attract attention or express surprise (“Well, hello! What do we have here?”). But the true breakthrough for this now-common word was when it was employed in the service of brand-new technology: the telephone.
Why do we answer the phone with hello? When the telephone was invented, Alexander Graham Bell wanted people to use the word ahoy as a greeting. Supposedly his rival Thomas Edison suggested hello, while Bell stubbornly clung to ahoy, and well—you know which one stuck around.
Its origins can be traced back to the 1830s, and it wasn't originally used as a greeting. In fact, the first published use of "hello" was in 1827, and it was mainly used to attract attention or express surprise. It wasn't until the telephone arrived that hello became hi.
Upon picking up the phone, you should confirm with the person whom they have called. In personal calls, it's sufficient to begin with a "Hello?" and let the caller introduce themselves first. However, you want to allow the caller to know if they've hit a wrong number, as well as whom they are speaking with.
Prior to 'hello' coming along the predominant greetings would have been, 'good morning', 'good afternoon', 'good evening', etc. The word 'hullo' existed, but it was used as an expression of surprise - you'll find it a lot in Conan Doyle's 'Sherlock Holmes' stories. Hello came about because of the telephone.
| greetings | hi |
|---|---|
| bonjour | ciao |
| g'day | gidday |
| hallo | hola |
| privet | salutations |
Who Should Greet First? This is a key question. According to the rules of etiquette, it should always be the socially less-important individual, that is, a man greets a woman first, the younger person greets the elder first, the subordinate greets the superior.
Hello is a relatively new greeting. The term first came into use in the United States in the early 1800s, but back then, people didn't use it to say “hi.” They used more formal expressions for that, such as “How do you do?” or “Good evening.” The word hello was used to get someone's attention or to express surprise.
When you greet others first you are seen as a friendly, confident person. That's impressive. Most importantly, acknowledging others is a kind gesture. We all want to be seen, and when someone takes the time to step out of their bubble to say hello it creates a moment of shared humanity.
How did they say hello in the 1700s?
Prior to 'hello' coming along the predominant greetings would have been, 'good morning', 'good afternoon', 'good evening', etc. The word 'hullo' existed, but it was used as an expression of surprise - you'll find it a lot in Conan Doyle's 'Sherlock Holmes' stories.
Hello didn't mean “hi” until the telephone was invented
In the 1830s you might hear people exclaim things like, “Hello, get over here!” or “Hello! What do you think you're doing?” It wasn't until Thomas Edison suggested it as a way to answer the phone that it became the salutation we know today.
The first mention of hi attributes it to a Kansas native American in the 1800s.
On weekdays, it's safe to assume that you can call in the earlier morning hours, around 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. However, on weekends, wait until at least 10 a.m. to allow much-needed rest and relaxation, as well as a leisurely morning routine.
Hello is first recorded in the early 1800s, but was originally used to attract attention or express surprise (“Well, hello! What do we have here?”). But the true breakthrough for this now-common word was when it was employed in the service of brand-new technology: the telephone.
The first discernible speech is transmitted over a telephone system when inventor Alexander Graham Bell summons his assistant in another room by saying, “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you.” Bell had received a comprehensive telephone patent just three days before.
The reason for the popularity behind using this word is the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor who discovered the telephone, was the one to urge the use of Ahoy but his rival, Thomas Edison made hello popular.
It's similar to how we might say "Oh/well/ah, hello there". We don't have to say well, oh, why, or ah. Sometimes we do use them to indicate surprise. We tend to use "Why, hello there." in a playful manner.
What Is Their Main Difference? Both of these words are used when we want to greet someone. However, 'hello' is more formal, whereas, 'hi' is a friendly term.
