Where does the use of “why” as an interjection come from? This is a common English phrase that I'm sure everyone has heard before. However, I find it puzzling that the phrase begins with "why" but isn't a question and doesn't end with a question mark. If there is any story or explanation behind this, I would love to know.

So, 'Why, hello there' basically means 'hello', but with an added expression either of surprise, probably because you weren't expecting to meet that person, or simply extra affection towards the person you are meeting.

Most people don't say this, it's rare. People that do say this add the why in front of hello to signify being startled at seeing the person or for it to sound funny.

2011年2月17日 · What do you say when someone introduces a friend, a relative, anybody at all? You say "hello." Hello has to have been the standard English language greeting since English people began greeting,...

It's to sound pleasantly surprised. So, if you see a cute girl, you can say "Why hello there!" to be flirty. If you say it to a child, it just is to show you are surprised to see them.

As interjections the difference between hello and why is that hello is while why is an exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience "well, i'll tell you". As nouns the difference between hello and why is that hello is "!" or an equivalent greeting while why is reason or why can be (uk|dialect) a young heifer. As a verb ...

The phrases 'hello' and 'why' are not directly comparable as they serve different purposes. 'Hello' is a common greeting used to start a conversation or acknowledge someone, while 'why' is an interrogative word used to ask for a reason or explanation.

@arki21012005 it’s a greeting but is often used in a flirtatious way. especially with the: ;) at the end. we don’t really add the ‘why’ to ‘hello there’ we just say ‘hello there’ or ‘hello’

Why, in English, do we say ‘hey’ as a conversation starter? Why not hello? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, hey is “used especially to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation”. It does not mention any connection to the word hello. Why then, do we so often hear hey substituted for hello?

2020年10月13日 · We use hello several times a day to greet people or attract attention. But as prevalent as the word is, it is relatively new. Where does hello come from? While use of the term hello dates back earlier, it isn’t recorded with this exact spelling until the 1800s.