American English (first recorded reference is to speech of a Kansas Indian), originally to attract attention, probably a variant of Middle Englishhey, hy (circa 1475). Also an exclamation to call attention.
Alternative forms
heigh
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /haɪ/
Rhymes: -aɪ
Homophones: Hi, hie, high
Interjection
hi
A friendly, informal, casual greeting said when meeting someone.
2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
Anna: Pete, hi! Hi, we are here! — Pete: Hi, Anna! Hi, Marsha! — Anna: Hi! — Pete: How are you two? — Marsha: I am great!
An exclamation to call attention.
(dated) Expressing wonder or derision.
Synonyms
(friendly informal greeting):hello, greetings
Translations
Noun
hi (pluralhis)
The word "hi" used as a greeting.
I didn't even get a hi.
Synonyms
greeting, hello
Etymology 2
From high.
Adjective
hi
Informal spelling of high, often hyphenated.
Get hi-quality videos here!
Derived terms
hi-def, hi-lo, hi-fi, hi-five, hi-tech, hi-vis
Related terms
lo
mid
Anagrams
IH
Albanian
Etymology
Tosk form of Gheg hî (pl. hin), from Proto-Albanian*skina, from *skines, from Proto-Indo-European*ḱenHis (compare Latincinis(“dust; cinder”), Ancient Greekκόνις(kónis, “ashes; dust”)).
Noun
him (definite singularhiri)
ash, ashes
dust of corpses
(figuratively) memory of the dead
Derived terms
hirët
hirtë
hith
Basque
Pronunciation
(Southern) IPA(key): /i/
(Northern) IPA(key): /hi/
Pronoun
hi
second-person singular personal pronoun, familiar; you
Declension
Related terms
heu
Breton
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic*sī. Cognate to Welshhi.
Pronoun
hi
she
Catalan
Etymology
From Old Catalany, i, hic, from Latinhīc(“here”) and ibī(“there”). Compare Frenchy.
Pronunciation
(Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈi/
Homophone: i
Rhymes: -i
Pronoun
hi (enclitic and proclitic)
represents a place associated with the action described by the verb, unless the place would be introduced by the preposition de
there (in constructions such as "there is", "there are", etc.: see haver-hi)
replaces an adverb (or adverbial phrase) describing the manner, instrument or association of an action
replaces a phrase introduced by any preposition except de (most commonly a or en)
replaces an indefinite noun or an adjective which is the predicate of a verb other than ésser, esdevenir, estar or semblar
(Central Catalan)in combination with other object pronouns, the third-person singular indirect object pronoun ("to him", "to her", "to it")
Usage notes
When more than one object pronoun is associated with a given verb, hi is always the last in the group.
Hi and ho cannot be used together with the same verb, nor can two his be used together.
It is sometimes stated that hi is never used to replace a compliment beginning with de. This is not completely accurate, as hi can replace adverbial phrases such as de pressa, de sobte, etc.
“hi” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Cornish
Etymology 1
From Proto-Celtic*sī. Cognate to Welshhi.
Pronoun
hi
she (third-person feminine singular personal pronoun).
Etymology 2
Noun
hi
Aspirate mutation of ki.
Danish
Pronunciation
Rhymes: -i
Rhymes: -iː
Etymology 1
From Norwegianhi, from Old Norsehið.
Noun
hin (singular definitehiet, plural indefinitehier)
winter quarters, winter lair (for hibernation); hibernation (used literally or figuratively)
at gå i hi
to enter hibernation
Declension
Synonyms
vinterhi
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeia for laughter or giggling.
Interjection
hi
(onomatopoeia)Signifies giggling.
See also
ha
Fasu
Noun
hị
(Namumi)Synonym of he
References
Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
Japanese
Romanization
hi
Rōmaji transcription of ひ
Rōmaji transcription of ヒ
Latin
Pronoun
hī
nominative masculine plural of hic
Maltese
Etymology
From Arabicهِيَ (hiya)
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /iː/
Pronoun
hi
she
Inflection
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutchhīe, from Proto-Germanic*hiz.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hiː/
Pronoun
hi
he
Inflection
Descendants
Dutch: hij, ie
Limburgish: hae
Further reading
“hi”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “hi (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
Middle English
Etymology 1
Pronoun
hi
Alternative form of I(“I”)
Etymology 2
Pronoun
hi
Alternative form of he(“he”)
Etymology 3
Pronoun
hi
Alternative form of heo(“she”)
Etymology 4
Pronoun
hi
Alternative form of he(“they”)
Middle Low German
Pronunciation
Possibly: IPA(key): /hiː/
Certainly: Stem vowel: ê⁴
IPA(key): /hiɛ/, /hiə/
Pronoun
hî
Alternative form of hê.
North Frisian
Alternative forms
he
Etymology
From Old Frisianhī, from Proto-Germanic*hiz, from Proto-Indo-European*ḱe.
Pronoun
hi
he
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hiː/ (example of pronunciation)
Etymology 1
From Old Norsehíð and híði.
Noun
hin (definite singularhiet, indefinite pluralhi, definite pluralhia)
lair (of an animal), sett(badgers)
Etymology 2
Determiner
hif (masculinehin, neuterhitt, pluralhine)
feminine singular of hin
Etymology 3
Interjection
hi
hee; expression of snickering
References
“hi” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old English
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /xiː/, [hiː]
Pronoun
hī
Alternative form of hīe(“they”)
Old Frisian
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic*hiz, from Proto-Indo-European*ḱe. Cognates include Old Englishhē and Old Dutchhie.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈhiː/
Pronoun
hī
he
Declension
Descendants
North Frisian:
Most dialects: hi, he
Halligen: hii
Saterland Frisian: hie
West Frisian: hy
References
Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Old Irish
Alternative forms
i
Etymology 1
From Proto-Celtic*en (compare Welshyn), from Proto-Indo-European*h₁én (compare Englishin, Latinin, Ancient Greekἐν(en)).
Preposition
hi(triggers eclipsis)
in (with dative)
into (with accusative)
For quotations using this term, see Citations:hi.
Inflection
Combinations with the definite article:
isin(accusative masculine/feminine singular)
issa(accusative neuter singular)
isind(dative singular)
isna(accusative plural)
isnaib(dative plural)
Combinations with possessive determiners:
im(“in my”)(1st person singular)
inna, na(“in his/her/its/their”)(3rd person)
The form i is unchanged in combination with a relative pronoun.
Descendants
Irish: i
Scottish Gaelic: an
Manx: ayns
Further reading
Rudolf Thurneysen (1940, reprinted 2003) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 842, pages 518–22
Etymology 2
Particle
hi
Alternative spelling of í
Pali
Alternative forms
Conjunction
hi
for, because
Adverb
hi
indeed, certainly
References
Robert Cæsar Childers (1875), A Dictionary of the Pali Language, London: Trübner & Co.
Pali Text Society, editor (1921-1925) , “hi”, in Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
(Hà Nội) IPA(key): [hi˧˧]
(Huế) IPA(key): [hɪj˧˧]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [hɪj˧˧]
Verb
hi
to bare one's teeth
See also
nhe
Welsh
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic*sī (compare Old Irishsí).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hiː/
Pronoun
hi
she, her
Westrobothnian
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hiː/ (example of pronunciation)
Rhymes: -íːð
(southernmost lects) Rhymes: -íː, -íːð
(í-ý merger) Rhymes: -íːð, -ýːð
Etymology
From Old Norsehíð and híði.
Noun
hin
lair (of an animal), sett(badgers)
Derived terms
hi a
higrän
Yoruba
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /hí/
Noun
hí
The name of the Latin-script letter H.
See also
(Latin-script letter names)lẹ́tà; á, bí, dí, é, ẹ́, fí, gí, gbì, hí, í, jí, kí, lí, mí, ní, ó, ọ́, pí, rí, sí, ṣí, tí, ú, wí, yí