morning

From Middle English morwenyng, from morwen + -ing. By surface analysis, morn + ing. See also morrow (Middle English morwe).


aloha

Borrowed from Hawaiian aloha (“love”), from Proto-Polynesian *qarofa. Doublet of aroha and aropa.

(chiefly Hawaii) Expressing good wishes when greeting or parting from someone; hello; goodbye.


g'day

"G'day, Missus," said he, with a jerk of his head, and he shifted from one leg to the other, and turned his hat over and over uneasily in his great brown hands.
[…]
"G'day," said 'Lizer, with a bright smile that revealed the prettiest of white teeth. The girl's mouth was as fresh as a rose.
[…]
"G'day, Missus, hope you're keepin' well, an' the Boss, an' the children. Got back sooner'n I expected; Well, how's my mate shapin?" said he.
[…]
It ain't no one's fault but mine," he said, generously. "G'day, Missus; I'm goin' ter find my mate, alive-or dead;" and he galloped away.

1901 December 14, Bushwoman, “Lizer o' th' Overshot”, in Australian Town and Country Journal

G'day, Muck.
[…]
Ned

2012 February 20, Ned Latham, “Odd behaviour UPLOAD”, in aus.computers.linux (Usenet)

(Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ottawa Valley, colloquial) Hi, hello.


welcome

From Middle English welcome, wolcume, wulcume, wilcume, from Old English wilcuma (“a wished-for guest”; compare also wilcume (“welcome!”, interjection)), from Proto-West Germanic *willjakwemō, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a wished-for arrival or guest”), possibly from *wiljakwemaną (“to be welcome”), equivalent to will (“desire”) + come (“comer, arrival”). The component wil- was replaced by wel- when the sense “guest” of the second component was no longer understood, likely under influence from the adverb well. Cognate with Scots walcome, West Frisian wolkom, Dutch welkom (earlier willecome), German willkommen, German Low German willkamen, Danish velkommen, Norwegian Bokmål velkommen, Norwegian Nynorsk velkomen, velkommen, Swedish välkommen, Icelandic velkominn, Faroese vælkomin, and Old French wilecome (whence Middle French willecomme (“welcome”)), from Germanic.
The verb is from Middle English welcomen, wolcumen, wilcumen, from Old English wellcumian, wylcumian, wilcumian (“to welcome, receive gladly”).
Similar constructions are found in Romance languages, such as Italian benvenuto, Spanish bienvenido, French bienvenu, Catalan benvingut, Portuguese bem-vindo and Romanian bun venit, meaning “[may you have fared] well [in] coming [here]”. These do not derive from a Classical Latin root, as no similar construction in Latin is found to exist, but are instead presumed to be the result of a calque from, considering the ruling elite of the Germanic kingdoms which succeeded the Western Roman Empire, a Germanic language into Proto-Romance (Vulgar Latin; see Latin *bene venūtus, and compare perdōnō and compāniō for similar historical calques).

gloss

“a wished-for guest”; compare also <i class="Latn mention" lang="ang">wilcume</i> (“welcome!”, interjection)

com

OpenB@DistalSideChesthigh-PalmAcross RoundVert OpenB@DistalInsideTrunkhigh-PalmUp RoundHoriz OpenB@NearCenterTrunkhigh-PalmUp

እንኳን ደህና መጣህ m እንኳን ደህና መጣሽ f እንኳን ደህና መጡ

ᑕᑕᐘᐤ

both meaning "there is room [for you], so come in"


welcome

outstay one's welcomewear out one's welcomewelcome polewelcome to my life

The act of greeting someone’s arrival, especially by saying "Welcome!"; reception.


hi

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.

Hi, how are you?

I just dropped by to say “hi”.

Anna: Pete, hi! Hi, we are here! — Pete: Hi, Anna! Hi, Marsha! — Anna: Hi! — Pete: How are you two? — Marsha: I am great!
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

A friendly, informal, casual greeting said upon someone's arrival.

chào (depending on the relationship between speaker and person addressed, one of the following terms may be appended: ông, bà, cô, anh, chị, em, quí vị)


how

From a Siouan language; compare Lakota háu. Alternatively from Wyandot haau.

A greeting, used in representations of Native American speech.


hello

→ Amharic: ሀሎ (halo)

→ Chinese: 哈嘍／哈喽 (hālou)

→ Malay: helo

→ Scottish Gaelic: halò

Hello (first attested in 1826), from holla, hollo (attested 1588). This variant of hallo is often credited to Thomas Edison as a coinage for telephone use, but its appearance in print predates the invention of the telephone by several decades.
Ultimately from a variant of Old English ēalā, such as hēlā, which was used colloquially at the time similarly to how hey and (in some dialects) hi are used nowadays. Thus, equivalent to a compound of hey and lo. Used when drawing attention to yourself.
Possibly influenced by Old Saxon halo!, imperative of halōn (“to call, fetch”), used in hailing a ferryman, akin to Old High German hala, hola!, imperative forms of halōn, holōn (“to fetch”). More at hallo.
OED and Merriam-Webster also suggested that it is a variant of holla, a variant of holloo. Further beyond, the origin remains uncertain. OED and Merriam-Webster suggested that it has a connection between hallow (“to shout, to cry out loud”), which came from Old French holloer.
According to Altfranzösisches Wörterbuch, Old French holloer is from Old Saxon halon.

ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܲܠܵܟ݂ܝ

šlāmā ˁallāḵ

ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܲܠܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ

šlāmā ˁallāwḵōn

sveiki

informal to more than one person or people of indeterminate gender

nsellmulek

formal more than one person to one person

nsellmulkom

formal more than one person to more than one persons

dumelang

as in dumelang, borra, "hello gentlemen"

Hello, everyone.

A greeting (salutation) said when meeting someone or acknowledging someone’s arrival or presence.

Hello? How may I help you?

Hello. This is Marsha. ― Yes, Marsha.
Audio (US): (file)

A greeting used when answering the telephone.

Hello? Is anyone there?

A call for response if it is not clear if anyone is present or listening, or if a telephone conversation may have been disconnected.


hello

In many new buildings, though, neighbors are venturing beyond tight-lipped hellos at the mailbox.

2007 April 29, Stephanie Rosenbloom, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”, in New York Times


hey

From Middle English hey, hei, also without h- in ey, from Old English *hē, ēa (interjection), attested as first element in hēlā, ēalā (“O!, alas!, oh!, lo!”). Cognate with Dutch hé, hei (“hi, hey”), German hei (“hey, wow”), Danish and Swedish hej (“hello, hey”), Faroese hey (“hey, hello”), Old Norse, Icelandic and Norwegian hei (“hey”), Polish hej (“hey, hello”), Romanian hei, Russian эй (ej, “hey”); see heigh. Probably a natural expression, as may be inferred from its presence with similar meaning in many other unrelated languages: for example, Burmese ဟေး (he:), Finnish hei, Unami hè, and Mandarin 哎 (āi), and various sound-alikes as Ancient Greek εἶα (eîa) and Latin eia, eho, Sanskrit हे (he). See also hello.

Hey! How's it going?

(chiefly US) An informal greeting, similar to hi.


hallo

From Middle English halou, halow, halloo (interjection used to call attention), representing Old English hēlā, ǣlā, ēalā (“O!, alas!, oh!, lo!”), equivalent to hey + lo.


ho

From Middle English ho, hoo (interjection), probably from Old Norse hó! (interjection, also, a shepherd's call). Compare Dutch ho, German ho, Old French ho! (“hold!, halt!”).

der

"That was a shot! But the captain will be glad! Ho, ho, here we are!" he cried till it was re-echoed from all the hills around.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 93

So I catch you. You stealer! Ho! Ho!

1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 11

halloo; hey; a call to excite attention, or to give notice of approach.


how are you

/hæɔ ˈaː jʉː/

/hæɔ ˈaː jə/

I'm fine, thank you. /
Fine, thanks. (informal) /
Fine, and you? (informal)

I'm very well, thank you. How are you? (formal)

(idiomatic) An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. In form a question, and thus followed by a question mark. Typical responses include:

እንደምን አለህ

ʾəndämn ʾäläh

እንደምን አለሽ

ʾəndämn ʾäläš

你好冇

ngì-hó-mò / nì-hó-mò / ǹ-hó-mò / ǹg-hó-mò

汝好势无？

lí hó-sè--bô? / lír hó-sè--bô? / lú hó-sè--bô?

汝较好无？

lí khà hó--bô? / lír khà hó--bô? / lú khà hó--bô?

汝食未？

lí chia̍h bē? / lír chia̍h bēr? / lí chia̍h bōe? / lú chia̍h bōe? / lír chia̍h běr?


bonjour

From French bonjour (“hello/good day/good morning”).

uder

Say bonjour to the botched R.S.V.P. The practice of replying to invitations, let alone actually showing up to parties as promised, has become as antiquated as the chimney sweep, and much messier.

2009 March 13, Alexandra Jacobs, “Blame the Messager”, in New York Times

(in French contexts) Good morning; hello.


alright

→ Afrikaans: ôraait

→ Dutch: olrijt

[ɒː(ɫ)ˈɹəi̯t]

Univerbation from all + right. Compare Old English eallriht (“all-right, just, exactly”), equivalent to al- (“all”) + right.

cog

(UK, informal) A generic greeting; hello; how are you.


hai

As her famously no-BS longtime PT Don Saladino, who has a next-level celeb roster (oh HAIII, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt!), told WH: ‘It’s about improving your body’s resilience and energy […] making sure we’re optimising everything we do’.

2023 June 5, Rebecca Gillam, “18 celebs who swear by weight training, from Adele to Millie Mackintosh & Frankie Bridge”, in Women's Health


happy Easter

An expression used during Easter to wish someone a happy time.

áldott húsvétot …kívánok!

it can be added to any preceding version to make it sound less casual and more polite


ayo

"Ayo, Red. It's the homie Spits on the jack for you, blood." "Ayo, homeboy," said Red as he excitedly picked up the telephone receiver. "What's up, fool?"

2004, Michael Daniel Baptiste, Cracked Dreams, page 73

“Ayo, wassup, girl,” he said to Keisha as he continued to walk toward the back area where I stood. […] “Ayo, wassup, playa?

2007, Reginald L. Hall, In Love with a Thug, page 38

Ayo Toine, you think they'd put me down?

2007, Tony J. Ward, Jr., I've Got to Make It to Heaven for Going Through Hell: Part 1, page 39

"Ayo, fam, you a'ight down there?" Victorious's cell mate asked.

2007, Nikki Turner, Christmas in the Hood, page 289

"Ayo, ma, where you going?" a dude asked her as she walked by him.

2008, Treasure Hernandez, Resurrection, page 106

"Ayo, Kalil!" a man's voice said from amidst the crowd. Kalil looked up and saw his lil' man, Peanut, distributing packets of heroin and taking money from the fiends.

2008, Ashley JaQuavis, The Trophy Wife, page 103

"Ayo, Cee, listen to this shit here," said Matt, passing him his cell.

2010, R Green Damon, Somethin' to Think about, page 197


ciao

Borrowed from Italian ciao (“hello, goodbye”), from Venetian ciao (“hello, goodbye, your (humble) servant”), from Venetian s-ciao / s-ciavo (“servant, slave”), from Medieval Latin sclavus (“Slav, slave”), related also to Italian schiavo, English Slav, slave and Old Venetian S-ciavón ("Slav"), from Latin Sclavus, ultimately from Proto-Slavic *slověninъ. Not related to Vietnamese chào (“hello, goodbye”).

تْشَاو

transliteration of the Italian greeting or farewell


hail

en-verb

hail (third-person singular simple present hails, present participle hailing, simple past and past participle hailed)

hails (present singular third-person)
hailing (participle present)
hailed (participle past)
hailed (past)

From Middle English heil (“healthy, sound”), from Old Norse heill, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“whole, entire, healthy”). The verb is from Middle English heilen, itself from the adjective. Doublet of whole, hale, and heil.

өндәшеү

to call out loudly in order to gain the attention of

(transitive) To greet; give salutation to; salute.

Hail a taxi.

'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket / And the other one is hailin' a taxi cab

1995, Alanis Morissette (lyrics and music), “Hand In My Pocket”, in Jagged Little Pill

(transitive) To call out loudly in order to gain the attention of.

In Melbourne, you would usually have to hail a tram when you are travelling late at night and there are no other passengers waiting at your stop.

(transitive, by extension, UK, Australia) To indicate, from a designated stop or otherwise, to the driver of a public transport vehicle that one wishes to board and travel on the vehicle, usually using hand signals such as waving.


hail

(archaic or poetic) An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.


guten Tag

Unadapted borrowing from German guten Tag.


good day

Good day, gentlemen.

(dated, formal) A somewhat formal greeting generally used between sunrise and sunset.


lo

When Spade entered, Wise was buting a fingernail and staring at the window. He took his hand from his mouth, screwed his chair around to face Spade, and said: " 'Lo. Push a chair up."

1929, Dashiel Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, New Yock: Vintage Books (Random House, published 1992, page 112


ave

Ye’ll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an ave there for me.

1913, “Danny Boy”, Frederic Weatherly (lyrics)


sup

Procopic form of what's up (“how are you doing?”)

of supremum and of words beginning with super-

— Sup?
— Not much.

(slang) what's up (either as a greeting or actual question)


yo

As a greeting first attested in 1859, attested first as a cry of sailors and huntsmen (first attested in the 1400s; compare e.g. huzzah, giddyup). Originally from Middle English yo, io, ȝo, yeo, yaw, variant forms of ya, ye (“yes, yea”), from Old English ġēa (“yes, yea”), from Proto-Germanic *ja (“yes, thus, so”), from Proto-Indo-European *yē (“already”); or perhaps from Old English ēow (“Wo!, Alas!”, interjection). Compare Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian jo (“yes (flexible meaning)”), Dutch jow (“hi, hey”) and Dutch jo (“hi, hey”). More at yea, ow, ew.
Modern popularity apparently dates from World War II (claimed to be a common response at roll calls; see definition 4), and then most intensely attested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; it thence spread globally from American dominance of pop culture post-WWII.

inh

Yo Paulie! How's it going?


oi

Variant of the interjection hoy with h-dropping in working class and Cockney speech; first recorded in the 1930s. Compare also unrelated Portuguese oi and Japanese おい (oi).

Oi! How's it going?


hoy

July 1779, William Cowper, letter to the Rev. William Unwin
The hoy went to London every week.

(nautical) A small coaster vessel, usually sloop-rigged, used in conveying passengers and goods, or as a tender to larger vessels in port.


hoy

en-verb

hoy (third-person singular simple present hoys, present participle hoying, simple past and past participle hoyed)

hoys (present singular third-person)
hoying (participle present)
hoyed (participle past)
hoyed (past)

(transitive) To incite; to drive onward.


hoy

hoy (third-person singular simple present hoys, present participle hoying or hoyin, simple past and past participle hoyed)

hoys (present singular third-person)
hoying (participle present)
hoyin (participle present)
hoyed (participle past)
hoyed (past)

They grab his duds and his picks as well. They hoy him down to the pit of hell. Down you go and fare ye well. You dirty blackleg miner.

1970 June 30, traditional (lyrics and music), “The Blackleg Miner” (track 4), in Hark! The Village Wait, performed by Steeleye Span


shalom

Borrowed from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (šālóm, “peace, well-being; Hello, good-bye”). Doublet of salaam, the same word via Arabic.

bor

(Judaism) A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell.

شَلُوم

transliteration of the Jewish greeting or farewell


good morning

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔːnɪŋ/

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔɹnɪŋ/

From Middle English gud mornynge (also as goode morne, gode morne), from Old English *gōdne morgen (“good morning”), an ellipsis for an expression such as "I wish you a good morning", equivalent to good + morning. Compare West Frisian goeie moarn, Dutch goedemorgen, German guten Morgen, Danish god morgen, Swedish god morgon, Icelandic góðan morgunn.

inh

"Good morning, Joan," said Judy at 9:00 AM.

The host began with "Good morning, your majesties, presidents, prime ministers and other dear guests."

"Good morning, Joey. Want to play on the slide at recess?" asked the five-year-old.

Other rules learnt by butlers include lighting candles 15 minutes before guests enter a room, and not saying "good morning" to guests until you are 5ft away.

2019 December 15, Hugh Graham, Alice Hutton, “Milk or tea first? Charles's butlers have the answer”, in The Sunday Times, number 10,188, page 5

Used as a greeting when meeting someone for the first time in the morning.

уа, шьыжьы бзиа

when seeing someone for the first time in the morning

እንደምን አደርሽ

ʾəndämn ʾädärš

Thank you for coming everyone and I hope to see you again next year. Good morning.

(less common, more formal) A parting in the morning.

Up at the crack of dusk! Good morning!

(by extension, humorous) Used to greet someone who has just awakened (irrespective of the time of day).


good morning

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔːnɪŋ/

/ˌɡʊd ˈmɔɹnɪŋ/

A greeting consisting of the interjection.


cheerio

/ˈtʃɪəɹ.i.əʊ/

/ˈt͡ʃɪəɹ.i.oʊ/

嗨

translations to be checked: exclamation used when greeting as well as when parting

Cheerio, everybody! What a delightful gathering of charming femininity!


how's tricks

He was smoking a cigar (a most unusual occurrence), and a smile of satisfaction lit up his serene countenance. "How's tricks, Harry my boy?" I asked of that gentleman.

(idiomatic, colloquial) Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you? or How's it going?


wassup

(chiefly US, slang) what's up? (as a greeting)


howdy

Sranan Tongo: odi

Shortened form of "how d'ye (do)" (i.e. how do you do).

Howdy folks, and welcome to our ninth annual chili cookoff!

(chiefly Texas, informal) An informal greeting.


oy

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

nonlemma

Alternative spelling of oi (“hey, hi, yo”)


what's up

Made popular by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny as part of his catch phrase “What’s up Doc?”, as early as 1940. Originally a common greeting from Bugs Bunny creator Tex Avery's neighborhood in Taylor, Texas.

Hey, what's up? – Not much, just working.

(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly US, with up in the sense of "happening") What's happening? What are you doing?


good afternoon

Probably a shortening of "I wish you a good afternoon."

Good afternoon everyone and thank you for coming to our special meeting today.

Jeeves: Good afternoon, madam.
Landlady: Don't you good afternoon me. I'm a respectable woman.
Jeeves: I have no reason to doubt it, madam.

1992 April 5, “The Full House”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 3, Episode 2

(rather formal in US, Canada) A greeting or farewell said in the afternoon.


good evening

An ellipsis for an expression such as "I wish you a good evening.".

Good evening everyone and welcome to our 34th annual general meeting.

(generally formal in US, Canada) Used as a greeting in the evening.

ܪܲܡܫܘܼܟ݂ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšūḵ brīḵā

ܪܲܡܫܵܟ݂ܝ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšāḵ brīḵā

ܪܲܡܫܵܘܟ݂ܘܿܢ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

ramšāwḵōn brīḵā


wagwan

Borrowed from Jamaican Creole wah gwan (literally “what go on”), a modified form of English what's going on.

bor+

Wah gwan, Sabrina, what's it like in Mississauga? / I know you stay at home wit' momma / So can you bless me with a dollar? Don't be rude

2024 June 3, “Wah Gwan Delilah” (3:32 from the start)performed by Snowd4y ft. Drake

what's happening
what's happening#English

(Jamaica, MLE, MTE, slang) A greeting, equivalent to what's up or what's happening.


ey up

Ey up lad, haa's it diddlin?


how-d'ye-do

“How-d’ye-do, Jewel, how-d’ye-do?” asked the visitor, with that graceful freedom which distinguishes the truly well-bred.

1836 June, Douglas William Jerrold, “Job Pippins, the Man Who ‘Couldn’t Help It’: Chap. IX”, in Blackwood’s Magazine, volume 39, number 248, page 746

Taking him by the hand in his usual familiar manner, Mr. H. said, ‘How-d’ye-do? How-d’ye-do?[…]’

1854, John Neal, One Word More: Intended for the Reasoning and Thoughtful Among Unbelievers, page 178

[…] but still, you know, you could recall yourself to my memory, and we could shake hands, say ‘How-d’ye-do?’ and think of—to-night.

1874, Christian Reid, A Daughter of Bohemia: A Novel, page 159

Alternative form of how do you do (greeting).


namaste

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste, literally “salutation to you”).

lbor

First of all, Namaste to you! It is my sincere hope that the words of this book will assist you in living with full appreciation for all the moments of your life. Remember that each one is special and brings something to your life[…]

2011 October 1, Cheri Ruskus, Victory One Moment at a Time: Unlocking the Power of the Master Mind, Morgan James Publishing

I shuffled from one foot to the other outside the room, as I delayed going in. Finally, I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and knocked on the door. 'Come in.' It seemed that Vimla was expecting me. 'Namaste.' She said, and gestured for me ...

2013, Susan Clare, Namaste Baby: A Journey to Surrogacy in India, Troubador Publishing Ltd, page 241

"What a lovely wedding for you both. Namaste," he said, his hands in prayer formation, his smile wide and confident and sincere. “Congratulations to you both.” “Thank you, Father,” Brian said. “Namaste to you, sir,” Priya added.

2020 August 17, Paul Bouchard, Priya’s Choice, iUniverse

A greeting in contexts relating to Indian culture or the New Age movement.


namaste

Krishnan introduced one of the girls as his sister. She was a small, frail-looking girl with a pretty smile. She clasped her hands, made a namaste and said, “Hello, nice meet you. My name is Karishma.” “Hello, Karishma,” said Natascha.

2012, Joshua Doder, Grk Adventures, Yearling Books, page 362

The traditional greeting when saying the word namaste, with folded hands and a slight bow.


hoi

A hollow groan, unlike anything she had ever heard in her life, came from the front, followed by a shout of "Hoi, there!"

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 55

A call to gain someone's attention; hey!


greetings

Greetings and salutations. You a Heather?

1989, Daniel Waters, 11:50 from the start, in Michael Lehmann, director, Heathers, spoken by Jason Dean (Christian Slater)

(sometimes formal, sometimes humorous) Hello.


eid mubarak

From Arabic عِيد مُبَارَك (ʕīd mubārak).

bor

عِيد مُبَارَك

Arabic عِيد مُبَارَك (ʕīd mubārak)

(Islam) A customary Muslim greeting on the days of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan.


privet

From Russian приве́т (privét, “hello, hi”).


ello

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling


salaam

From Arabic سَلَام (salām, “peace”). Doublet of shalom, a borrowing from Hebrew.

A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly in Islamic countries.


hiya

Shortened from how are you?, with influence from hi. US, 1940s.

Hiya, love, how's you?


pleased to meet you

A polite formula used when being introduced to somebody.

ܬܦܵܩܬܵܐ ܦܨܝܼܚܬܵܐ

tpāqtā pṣīḥtā

真欢喜捌汝

chin hoaⁿ-hí pat lí / chin hoaⁿ-hí pat lír / chin hoaⁿ-hí pat lú

お初にお目にかかります

おはつにおめにかかります

お初にお目に掛かります

おはつにおめにかかります

rất vui được gặp bạn (generic, replace bạn with an appropriate pronoun)


chin-chin

en-noun

chin-chin (countable and uncountable, plural chin-chins)

Duplication of chin in its various senses. Compare chinwag.

I haven't had so much chin-chin for years.

1877, Mark Twain, letter published in Love Letters (1949), p. 198

Mum and Mrs. Martin had a good chin-chin at the fence about sickness and husbands.

(US, informal, archaic) Discussion, conversation, talk.


how do you do

pleased to meet you
pleased to meet you#English

nice to meet you
nice to meet you#English

(formal) A greeting used upon being introduced to someone. Alternatives are how are you, pleased to meet you, and nice to meet you. (Sometimes used as a rhetorical question among familiar parties, depending on the region).

始めてお目にかかります

はじめておめにかかります


shalom aleichem

/ʃəˌlɒm əˈleɪxəm/

/ʃəˌlɒm əˈleɪkəm/

/ˌʃɔləm əˈleɪkəm/

From Hebrew שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם (shalóm 'aleikhém, “peace be upon you”). Doublet of salaam alaikum.

der

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם

(Judaism) A greeting said on meeting someone, especially when the two people meeting have not met in some time.


salutations

The interjection is an application of the noun.


kia ora

(New Zealand, informal) Used as a greeting.


gm

Alternative form: GM

(text messaging, Internet slang) Abbreviation of good morning.


top of the morning

A working-class phrase once popular throughout the British Isles, possibly in reference to cream rising in milk. Revived into popular consciousness, and associated with Irishmen, by the 1959 film Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

(Ireland, New England, idiomatic, archaic, sometimes humorous) A generic, cheerful greeting said to someone in the morning.

British Isles
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
St. Patrick's Day


howzit

(slang, South Africa, Hawaii) Hello; what's up?


how are you doing

(informal) Alternative form of how do you do


hello there

/həˈləʊ̯ ðɛə(ɹ)/

/hɛˈləʊ̯ ðɛː(ɹ)/

/hɛˈloʊ̯ ðɛɚ/

/həˈloʊ̯ ðɛɚ/

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hello there.
General Grievous: General Kenobi! You are a bold one.

2005, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith


how's it going

Oh, hi, Pete. How’s it going? — Hi, Anna. It’s going great. How’s it going with you? — Things are awesome!
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

汝怎样啰

lí cháiⁿ-iūⁿ--lo͘ / lír chàiⁿ-iūⁿ--lo͘ / lí chóaⁿ-iōⁿ--lo͘h


nice to meet you

Nice to meet you! — You too, Bye.
Audio (US): (file)

A polite expression used when the speaker is first introduced to someone.


hello yourself, and see how you like it

Probably popularised by its occurrence in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876; see quotation).

(humorous) A response to being greeted with "hello".


what's new

onko mitään uutta

implies that the situation is and always has been unsatisfactory

(informal) An informal greeting asking the other person what has recently happened in their life. A typical response might be "Not much; you?". The greeting is not always literal and may just be used to say hello.

иҟеи

informal greeting asking what has happened recently


hey up

From high up as a warning. Written heigh up by Joseph Wright in the English Dialect Dictionary. Always pronounced with the diphthong ɛɪ as was formerly used in high in these dialects. Never pronounced /e:/ as used in hay.

(Northern England, informal) A greeting.


howdedo

I had no sooner got disposed than the door opened and a man came in, a husky, busy-looking man in a blue suit and black shoes, with a stiff straw hat.[…] The girl said, "Howdedo, Mr. Cook, Mr. Derwin's in Mr. Anderson's room."

1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam, published 1992, page 47

Pronunciation spelling of how do you do.


what's going on

(idiomatic, informal) An informal greeting.


'ello

A representation of the pronunciation of hello by a speaker whose dialect lacks the voiceless glottal fricative or transition ([h]).


good morrow

/ɡʊd ˈmɒɹəʊ/

From Middle English good morow, good morwe.


good morrow

/ɡʊd ˈmɒɹəʊ/

(archaic) A greeting consisting of the interjection.


how's life

An informal greeting roughly equivalent to how are you


how's things

An informal greeting roughly equivalent to how are you?


how's everything

An informal greeting, asking how a person's life is going.


how are you getting along

(informal) A greeting roughly equivalent to how are you.


how goes it

The phrase is a regular Early Modern English equivalent of how's it going (when neither progressive tenses nor do-support were obligatory). As such it could have survived through regional dialects. Nevertheless modern usage is likely a calque of German wie geht es, perhaps additionally also Dutch hoe gaat het, Danish hvordan går det, etc.

‘Scotty, man, how goes it?’ Bennie said, patting me warmly on the back as we shook hands.

2010, Jennifer Egan, “X's and O's”, in A Visit from the Goon Squad

(idiomatic) An informal greeting roughly equivalent to how are you.


good-den

Corruption of good e'en, for good evening.

(obsolete) A salutation; "good evening".


heaveno

From hello, substituting heaven for the letters "hell". Coined by Leonso Canales Jr., who lobbied to have it designated the "official greeting" of Kleberg County, Texas, USA in January 1997.


salaam alaikum

Borrowed from Arabic السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ (as-salāmu ʕalaykum, “peace be upon you”). Doublet of shalom aleichem.

bor+

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ

(Islam) A greeting said on meeting someone.

әссәләмәғәләйкүм

əssələməğələyküm


well met

A shortening of It is well that we have met.

Bardolph: Well met, Corporal Nim.

c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Henry V, act II, scene I

" Well met ! Well met ! Thou'lt soon be set
Before the ale-cup flowing."

1833, Unknown translator, “The Death Song of Regner Lodbrog”, in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 33, page 915

"Ho, Fios," Verne said as he raised a hand in greeting.
"Well met, Master Verne," the smallest of the dogs replied.

2011, James A Owen, The Dragon's Apprentice, page 120


Shabbat shalom

Borrowed from Hebrew שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם (shabát shalóm).

bor

שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם

Used to express good wishes on or before the Jewish sabbath.

安息日平安

good wishes at Jewish sabbath / lit.: peace on the Sabbath


shavua tov

From Hebrew שבוע טוב (shavúa tov, “good week”), from Yiddish אַ גוטע וואָך (a gute vokh).

der

אַ גוטע וואָך

Used Saturday night through Sunday (and sometimes later) to express good wishes for the coming week following the Jewish sabbath.

shavua tov

good wishes for the week following the Jewish sabbath


ay up me duck

(chiefly Midlands, informal) A generic greeting.


alright me lover

(West Country, informal) A generic greeting.


how bist

(UK dialect, West Country and West Midlands, informal) How are you? (greeting)


alright me babber

(West Country, Bristol, informal) A generic greeting.


tena koe

(New Zealand) A greeting (to a single person)


ship ahoy

(nautical) Interjection used to hail another ship or vessel, or to attract attention to the presence of another vessel nearby.

vaixell a la vista

interjection used to hail another ship or vessel, or to attract attention to it


bonjour/hi

[bɒ̃ʊ̯̃.ˈʒʊu̯ʁ haɪ̯]

Such is the alarm about the fragility of French in Quebec that a few years ago the provincial government passed a nonbinding resolution calling for shop attendants to replace “bonjour hi” — a common greeting in bilingual, tourist-friendly Montreal — with just “bonjour.”

2021 October 9, Dan Bilefsky, “French Language Laws Renew Rift With Quebec's English Speakers”, in The New York Times, retrieved 2021-10-09


wellcome

en-adj

wellcome (comparative more wellcome, superlative most wellcome)

more wellcome (comparative)
most wellcome (superlative)


wellcome

en-verb

wellcome (third-person singular simple present wellcomes, present participle wellcoming, simple past and past participle wellcomed)

wellcomes (present singular third-person)
wellcoming (participle present)
wellcomed (participle past)
wellcomed (past)


bene lightmans

(obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Good day; a greeting said in the morning or daytime.


konnichiwa

Borrowed from Japanese 今(こん)日(にち)は (konnichi wa).

(informal) Good day, good afternoon; (broadly) hello.


howgh

Alternative form of how (“Native American greeting”)


how are you going

how are you doing
how are you doing#English

(Australia, New Zealand) Alternative form of how are you doing


'allo

'Allo, 'allo, 'allo! What's goin' on 'ere, then?

(representing Cockney or other accent) Hello.


how's every little thing

TESSIO: Buon Natale, everybody. Buon Natale... (he smiles at Tom Hagen) Hi, Tom, how's every little thing?
HAGEN: (helping him with the presents) Wonderful, Sal.

1973, Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part II (screenplay, second draft)

(colloquial) A greeting, asking about a person's life; how are you?


howdy doody

An extended form of the expression howdy to more completely mirror the original expression "how do you do".


what do you want

(informal) A rude greeting, implying that the speaker does not wish to engage in formalities.


how goes the battle

(colloquial, humorous) how are things? how's life?


how goes the war

how goes the battle
how goes the battle#English

(colloquial, humorous) Synonym of how goes the battle (“how are things? how's life?”)


have you eaten

Depending on the speaker's language/culture, may be a greeting roughly equivalent to "how are you"

Jadliście państwo już? The word 'już' - 'already' is put here to overcome ambiguity.


hello again

A greeting (salutation) said when encountering someone that one has met with recently in the past.


hey hey

(colloquial) An informal greeting; an opening salutation.


you alright

The greeting "you alright?" took a long time to get used to. In the US asking someone if they're alright implies that they look like they're not ok.

2022 February 1, Lizzie May, “Immigrants living in the UK reveal the biggest culture shocks they experienced”, in The Daily Mail


how's it

"How's it?" Stan asked. He looked like he was having real trouble focusing his eyes, and he smelt very strange. 'It's all right, Stan,' Granddad replied. 'What's up?' 'Had any more news there, boss?' Granddad didn't look up.

2015 September 1, James Roy, Billy Mack's War, Univ. of Queensland Press


how-de-do

Pronunciation spelling of how do you do.


Kiong Hee Huat Chai

/kɪˌoŋ ˌhi ˌhuɐt ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯/

From Hokkien 恭喜發財／恭喜发财 (Kiong-hí hoat-châi). Compare Tagalog Kiong Hee Huat Tsai.


Gong Xi Fa Cai

/kɔŋ ɕi fä t͡sʰaɪ̯/

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 恭喜發財／恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái).


Kung Hei Fat Choi

/kʊŋ ˌheɪ ˌfat ˈt͡ʃoɪ̯/

From Cantonese 恭喜發財／恭喜发财 (gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴). Compare Tagalog Kung Hey Fat Tsoy.

bor

(Hong Kong, Philippines) Happy Chinese New Year


how are you diddling

Popularised by comedian Ken Dodd (1927–2018).

Repeats many sentences and hundreds of words, including the following: […] “Hello, are you working? How are you diddling?”

1905 October 21, “King of wild beast merchants, Cross, Liverpool. Wonderful talking grey parrot”, in The Illustrated London News, volume 127, number 347, page 588

Hello old 'un, how you diddling?

1983 December 25, John Sullivan, “Thicker than Water” (2:52 from the start), in Only Fools and Horses (television production), spoken by Reg Trotter (Peter Woodthorpe), via BBC1

Yo yo yo. How are you diddling then? And wasn't Zoe fantastic this morning?

2019 January 14, Sara Cox, Sara Cox (radio broadcast), via BBC Radio 2

(UK, colloquial, humorous, dated) How are you doing?