Etymology Map
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Hello

3 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means a greeting or expression of surprise

Where does the word "hello" come from? It comes from Old French holà, passing through English before entering English (1870s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
holà
Old French · 1400s
"hey there!"
ho 'hey' + là 'there', a call to stop or draw attention
2
Stage 2 of 3
hollo
English · 1500s
"a shout"
a shout to attract attention or urge on hunting hounds, with many variants such as halloo and hallo
3
Stage 3 of 3
hello
American English · 1870s
"a greeting"
Thomas Edison urged 'hello' as the telephone greeting in 1877, while Alexander Graham Bell preferred 'ahoy'
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Read the full story

Hello’s story begins in Old French: holà meant “hey there!.” Ho 'hey' + là 'there', a call to stop or draw attention. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in English as hollo. A shout to attract attention or urge on hunting hounds, with many variants such as halloo and hallo. It reached English by 1870s as hello. Thomas Edison urged 'hello' as the telephone greeting in 1877, while Alexander Graham Bell preferred 'ahoy'. Today, hello means a greeting or expression of surprise.