Hey

Hey is an informal interjection used to attract attention, to greet someone, or to express surprise or enthusiasm. In spoken English, it can stand alone as a greeting ("Hey!") or precede a name ("Hey, Sara."). It is more casual than hello and common in everyday speech, emails, and online messaging.

Origin and history: The precise origin of "hey" is uncertain. It is attested in English from the late medieval period and is related to other exclamations such as "ho" or "yo" in various languages. Over time it became a versatile attention-getter and informal greeting, spreading through American and British usage in speech, songs, and popular culture.

Variants and usage: The phrase can be extended as "hey there," "hey you," or "hey!" with punctuation indicating tone. It functions as a discourse marker, signaling attention, agreement, or emphasis, depending on intonation and context. In formal writing, it is typically avoided; in casual writing, capitalization follows standard sentence rules.

In contemporary usage, "hey" appears in music, advertising, and social media as a friendly, approachable opener. It is generally understood as informal and non-confrontational, though direct address to a stranger may be perceived as brusque if overused or lacking warmth.