hi
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "hi"
Languages (35)
Translingual • English
Albanian • Basque • Bavarian • Breton • Catalan • Chinese • Cornish • Danish • Fasu • German • Japanese • Kankanaey • Latin • Maltese • Middle Dutch • Middle English • Middle Low German • Naga Pidgin • Namuyi • North Frisian • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old English • Old Frisian • Old Irish • Pali • Pirahã • Sumerian • Vietnamese • Welsh • Yilan Creole • Yola • Yoruba • Zou
Page categories
Albanian • Basque • Bavarian • Breton • Catalan • Chinese • Cornish • Danish • Fasu • German • Japanese • Kankanaey • Latin • Maltese • Middle Dutch • Middle English • Middle Low German • Naga Pidgin • Namuyi • North Frisian • Norwegian Nynorsk • Old English • Old Frisian • Old Irish • Pali • Pirahã • Sumerian • Vietnamese • Welsh • Yilan Creole • Yola • Yoruba • Zou
Page categories
Translingual
Symbol
hi
English
Etymology 1
American English. First recorded reference is to speech of a Kansas Indian (1862); originally to attract attention, probably a variant of Middle English hey, hy (circa 1475). Also an exclamation to call attention. See hey.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Interjection
hi
- A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival.
- 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
- An exclamation to call attention.
- 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
- I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.
- 1954, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Two Towers:
- 'Come back now!' shouted Sam. 'Hi! Come back!' But Gollum had vanished.
- (dated) Expressing wonder or derision.
Derived terms
Translations
friendly, informal greeting
|
Noun
hi (plural his)
Etymology 2
From high.
Adjective
hi
- Informal spelling of high, often in hyphenated terms.
- Get hi-quality videos here!
Derived terms
Related terms
See also
etymologically unrelated terms containing the word "hi"
Anagrams
Albanian
Etymology
Tosk form of Gheg hî (pl. hin), from Proto-Albanian *skina, from *skines, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱenHis (compare Latin cinis (“dust; cinder”), Ancient Greek κόνις (kónis, “ashes; dust”)).
Noun
hi m (definite hiri)
- ash, ashes
- dust of corpses
- (figurative) memory of the dead
Derived terms
Basque
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Pronoun
hi (emphatic forms heu, hihaur, herori)
Usage notes
- This pronoun is very informal, and is only used between close friends or family members. In all other situations, zu is used.
- When addressing someone using this pronoun, all verb forms (including those not governed by hi) must be in allocutive agreement. For example:
- Mahaia handia da. ― The table is big.
- Mahaia handia duk. ― The table is big. (informal, to a male)
- Mahaia handia dun. ― The table is big. (informal, to a female)
Declension
absolutive | hi |
---|---|
ergative | hik |
dative | hiri |
genitive | hire |
comitative | hirekin |
causative | higatik, hiregatik |
benefactive | hiretzat, hiretako |
instrumental | hitaz |
inessive | higan, hiregan, hire baitan, hitan |
locative | hire baitako |
allative | hiregana, hireganat, hire baitara, hire baitarat |
terminative | higanaino, hireganaino, hire baitaraino |
directive | higanantz, hireganantz |
destinative | higanako, hireganako |
ablative | higanik, hireganik, higandik, hiregandik, hire baitatik, hire baitarik |
Derived terms
- hiketa (“use of hi”)
Related terms
See also
Further reading
- “hi”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
- “hi”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005
Bavarian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle High German hin, hine, from Old High German hina. Compare German hin, Dutch heen and English hence.
Adverb
hi
- Used to denote direction away from the speaker.
- Wo gehst'n hi? ― Where are you going?
Derived terms
- dåhi
- duathi
See also
Etymology 2
Clipping of Middle High German hinüber.
Adjective
hi (predicative)
- out of order, broken
- Des Auto is hi. ― The car is broken.
- exhausted, depleted
- Nåchn Spuat gestern woar i afoch nur hi. ― I was just exhausted after yesterday's sport.
- (derogatory) dead, deceased
- Auffigstiegn, owigfoin, hi gwen. ― Ascended, fell off, dead.
- (figuratively, derogatory, chiefly East Central Bavarian, Vienna) stupid
Synonyms
Breton
Etymology
From Proto-Celtic *sī. Cognate to Welsh hi.
Pronoun
hi
Catalan
Etymology
Inherited from Old Catalan y, i, hic, from Latin hīc (“here”) and ibī (“there”). Compare French y.
Pronunciation
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) 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 complement beginning with de. This is not completely accurate, as hi can replace adverbial phrases such as de pressa, de sobte, etc.
Declension
strong/subject | weak (direct object) | weak (indirect object) | possessive | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
proclitic | enclitic | proclitic | enclitic | |||||
singular | 1st person |
standard | jo, mi3 | em, m’ | -me, ’m | em, m’ | -me, ’m | meu |
majestic1 | nós | ens | -nos, ’ns | ens | -nos, ’ns | nostre | ||
2nd person |
standard | tu | et, t’ | -te, ’t | et, t’ | -te, ’t | teu | |
formal1 | vós | us | -vos, -us | us | -vos, -us | vostre | ||
very formal2 | vostè | el, l’ | -lo, ’l | li | -li | seu | ||
3rd person |
m | ell | el, l’ | -lo, ’l | li | -li | seu | |
f | ella | la, l’4 | -la | li | -li | seu | ||
n | ho | -ho | li | -li | seu | |||
plural | ||||||||
1st person | nosaltres | ens | -nos, ’ns | ens | -nos, ’ns | nostre | ||
2nd person |
standard | vosaltres | us | -vos, -us | us | -vos, -us | vostre | |
formal2 | vostès | els | -los, ’ls | els | -los, ’ls | seu | ||
3rd person |
m | ells | els | -los, ’ls | els | -los, ’ls | seu | |
f | elles | les | -les | els | -los, ’ls | seu | ||
3rd person reflexive | si | es, s’ | -se, ’s | es, s’ | -se, ’s | seu | ||
adverbial | ablative/genitive | en, n’ | -ne, ’n | |||||
locative | hi | -hi |
1 Behaves grammatically as plural. 2 Behaves grammatically as third person.
3 Only as object of a preposition. 4 Not before unstressed (h)i-, (h)u-.
Derived terms
- (Proclitic contractions): l'hi, m'hi, n'hi, s'hi, t'hi
- (Enclitic contractions): -ens-hi, -l'hi, -la-hi, -les-hi, -los-hi, 'ls-hi, -m'hi, -n'hi, 'ns-hi, -s'hi, -t'hi, -us-hi, -vos-hi
See also
Further reading
- “hi” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Chinese
Pronunciation
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: haai1
- Yale: hāai
- Cantonese Pinyin: haai1
- Guangdong Romanization: hai1
- Sinological IPA (key): /haːi̯⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Etymology 1
From English hi. Doublet of 嗨 (hāi).
Interjection
hi
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) hi (interjection)
Etymology 2
From English hi, see hi auntie for more.
Verb
hi
- (Hong Kong Cantonese, euphemistic, originally Internet slang, neologism) Alternative form of 屌 (diu2)
Related terms
See also
Etymology 3
Irregular romanisation of 揩 (haai1).
Verb
hi
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) Alternative form of 揩 (haai1)
Cornish
Etymology 1
From Proto-Brythonic *hi, from Proto-Celtic *sī. Cognate with Breton and Welsh hi, and Irish sí.
Alternative forms
- (Revived Late Cornish) hei
Pronoun
hi f
See also
number | person | independent (subject) |
suffixed | infixed | possessive (dependent) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
enclitic | emphatic | reduced | ||||||
singular | first | my | vy | evy | ma, a | 'm | owA | |
second | ty | jy, sy1 | tejy | ta, a | 'thM | dhaS | ||
third2 | m | ev | ev | eev | va, a | 'n | yS | |
f | hi | hi | hyhi | N/A | 's | hyA | ||
plural | first | ni | ni | nyni | 'gan, 'n | agan, 'gan | ||
second3 | hwi | hwi | hwyhwi | 'gas, 's | agas, 'gas | |||
third | i | i | ynsi | 's | agaA, 'gaA |
1 Uncommon.
2 hun and ins have been suggested as non-binary 3rd person singular pronouns, though these have not yet officially adopted.
3 Infrequently used as a formal alternative to the singular.
S Triggers soft mutation A Triggers aspirate mutation M Triggers mixed mutation
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Noun
hi
- Aspirate mutation of ki.
Danish
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Norwegian hi, from Old Norse hið.
Noun
hi n (singular definite hiet, plural indefinite hier)
- winter quarters, winter lair (for hibernation); hibernation (used literally or figuratively)
- at gå i hi
- to enter hibernation
- at gå i hi
Declension
Synonyms
- vinterhi
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeia for laughter or giggling.
Interjection
hi
- (onomatopoeia) Signifies giggling.
See also
Fasu
Noun
hị
- (Namumi) Synonym of he
References
- Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 67
German
Etymology
Pronunciation
Interjection
hi
Further reading
- “hi” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Japanese
Romanization
hi
Kankanaey
Pronunciation
Article
hi
- Pronunciation variant of si.
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of si
Latin
Pronoun
hī
Maltese
Etymology
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hi
- Alternative form of hija
Inflection
Middle Dutch
Etymology
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hi
Inflection
Descendants
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
Pronoun
hî
- Alternative form of hê.
Naga Pidgin
Etymology
Particle
hi
Namuyi
Pronunciation
Noun
hi
References
North Frisian
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old Frisian hī, from Proto-West Germanic *hiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe.
Pronoun
hi
- he
- Hi wal sin frinjer üüb Feer beschük. ― He wants to visit his relatives on Föhr.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Noun
hi n (definite singular hiet, indefinite plural hi, definite plural hia)
Etymology 2
Determiner
Etymology 3
Interjection
hi
- hee; expression of snickering
References
- “hi” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old English
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hī
- Alternative form of hīe (“they”)
Old Frisian
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *hiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *hiz. Cognates include Old English hē and Old Dutch hie.
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hī m (accusative hine, genitive sīn, dative him)
Declension
nominative | accusative | dative | genitive | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular | 1st person | ik | mī | mī | mīn | |
2nd person | thū | thī | thī | thīn | ||
3rd person |
m | hī | hine | him | sīn | |
f | hiū, hiō | hiā | hire, hiāre | hire, hiāre | ||
n | hit | hit | him | sīn | ||
plural | 1st person | wī | ūs | ūs | ūser | |
2nd person | jī | jū, jō | jū, jō | jūwer | ||
3rd person | hiā | hiā | him, hirem, hiārem | hira, hiāra |
Descendants
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Old Irish
Etymology 1
Preposition
hi
- Alternative spelling of i
Etymology 2
Particle
hi
- Alternative spelling of í
Pali
Alternative forms
Conjunction
hi
Adverb
hi
References
- Childers, Robert Caesar, Dictionary of the Päli Language, London: Trübner & Company, 1875.
- Pali Text Society (1921–1925) “hi”, in Pali-English Dictionary, London: Chipstead
Pirahã
Etymology
Pronunciation
Pronoun
hi
Sumerian
Romanization
hi
- Romanization of 𒄭 (ḫi)
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
Verb
hi
See also
Welsh
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Proto-Celtic *sī (compare Old Irish sí).
Pronoun
hi
Etymology 2
Noun
hi
- h-prothesized form of i
Mutation
radical | soft | nasal | h-prothesis |
---|---|---|---|
i | unchanged | unchanged | hi |
Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.
Yilan Creole
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
hi
Yola
Yoruba
Zou
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