Is "hi" a word?

Guess Who! · Post by **Guess Who!** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 6:23 am

So, is "hi" a word?

I know someone who says no, 'hi' is not a word. I'm not quite sure of he reasoning, but I believe it has to do with the fact that it is a rather new term, and is not used in formal writing.

A similar question has to do with how you define terms, as a definition of the word "word" is probably going to be important in this thread.

NatetheGreat · Post by **NatetheGreat** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 6:59 am

Laurie · Post by **Laurie** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:05 am

Guess Who! wrote:So, is "hi" a word?

I know someone who says no, 'hi' is not a word. I'm not quite sure of he reasoning, but I believe it has to do with the fact that it is a rather new term, and is not used in formal writing.

A similar question has to do with how you define terms, as a definition of the word "word" is probably going to be important in this thread.

Could you try that again? Perhaps in English?

NatetheGreat · Post by **NatetheGreat** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:07 am

I'm the one who told her that "hi" isn't correct english, and perhaps it would make more since to ask the Q, do you think "hi" is CORRECT english? I personally, do not.

Guess Who! · Post by **Guess Who!** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:17 am

Ah, but you told me it wasn't correct English because it wasn't a word. I disagree with that. "Hi" doesn't belong in formal writing, that's for sure, but that doesn't mean it isn't a word, or even that it shouldn't be used. Contractions like "can't" and "don't" aren't used in formal writing, but they still are a part of correct English. (In that there ARE ways to use them incorrectly)

"Hi" does convey meaning to English speakers, and thus can be easily used as part of the language.

NatetheGreat · Post by **NatetheGreat** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:21 am

*Decides to drop out of debate till he can talk to one of his good friends*

Guess Who! · Post by **Guess Who!** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 7:24 am

NatetheGreat wrote:*Decides to drop out of debate till he can talk to one of his good friends*

Better make sure he's got some GOOD arguments this time

Sarah · Post by **Sarah** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:14 am

I've seen "hi" used in books before. If that's what you consider formal writing.

I read this thing once about the word "hey" and how it really isn't that new of a term, and has been used since 1225. Maybe "hi" is the same deal. *shrug*

Sarah

STRYPER · Post by **STRYPER** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:55 am

NatetheGreat wrote:do you think "hi" is CORRECT english? I personally, do not.

I would argue that it USED to be incorrect english, but after time, the language has evolved enough that "hi" and many different contractions are acceptable.

Shad Lexer · Post by **Shad Lexer** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:15 am

It's in the dictionary. It's a 'word'.

Sarah · Post by **Sarah** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:19 am

Captain Jack wrote:It's in the dictionary. It's a 'word'.

I was curious, so I just looked up "hi" on dictionary.com (*hugs trusty dictionary.com search bar in her firefox), and it took me to a regional note about hey...

dictionary.com wrote:Regional Note: Traditionally, hey was just an exclamation. Sometimes it expressed delight, sometimes a warning. Nowadays we find it used for emphasis as well, especially in the expression but hey. It is also a greeting. It is a short, colloquial version of How are you? and thus close kin to the informal salutation hi, which it seems to be replacing in many situations. Until recently, this greeting had a distinctly Southern flavor. The national survey conducted in the 1960s by the Dictionary of American Regional English found hey as a greeting restricted chiefly to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The friendly hey has since spread throughout the United States.

There ya go...

Sarah

Guess Who! · Post by **Guess Who!** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:32 am

so whatever a dictionary says goes? That doesn't seem like a fool proof way of defining words to me. How does the dictionary decide on the definitions?

Obviously (to me) the meaning of words is defined by the way we use them. Not by what experts say in dictionaries. We use 'hi' as a saluatory greeting, therefore, it is a saluatory greeting. We use 'word' to denote terms which we use to convey meaning. "hi" is a term we use to convey meaning. Therefore, "hi" is a "word," and no appeal to an outside authority was necessary.

Sarah · Post by **Sarah** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:35 am

I wasn't saying that I agreed nor disagreed with it. I was just posting that.

Believe me, I don't agree with everything that a dictionary says (just look up the word "love" because their definition is full of mistakes, and did not mention God once, whose name basically means love to me.).

Sarah

Guess Who! · Post by **Guess Who!** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 9:49 am

ah. ok. It just sounded like you thought quoting a dictionary solved the problem.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:31 am

I used it in a Scrabble game the other day, so it has to be a word! $\:D/$

Shad Lexer · Post by **Shad Lexer** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 10:52 am

Frank wrote:I used it in a Scrabble game the other day, so it has to be a word! $\:D/$

Extrordinary!

Elrohir · Post by **Elrohir** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 11:27 am

Frank wrote:I used it in a Scrabble game the other day, so it has to be a word! $\:D/$

well, then that settles it.

Mr Sarcastic Cow Man · Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:10 pm

"Hi" is a word, although I guess it could be considered slang...

Edit: "I'll believe what I wanna believe; you believe what you wanna believe, and would you believe?! Nobody knows what to believe!"

Not usually good logic, but it works here.

gimp80995 · Post by **gimp80995** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:35 pm

I don't believe it's "correct" English, however I don't have much room to talk since I use it all the time.

Peace Out

-Gimp

STRYPER · Post by **STRYPER** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 12:43 pm

actually Frank's logic seems to carry the most weight so far!!!

The Town of Odyssey

Is "hi" a word?

Is "hi" a word?

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