Where does “hey” come from?
hey (Spanish) comes from English hey, from French haie, from Middle French haye, from Middle Dutch die haghe, from Middle Dutch haghe, from Old Dutch hago, from Proto-West Germanic hagō, from Proto-Germanic *hagô — to take, seize.
hey (Spanish): hey!
Ancestry of “hey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | hey | An exclamation to get attention; A protest or... |
| 2 | French | haie | hedge; obstacle; hurdle |
| 3 | Middle French | haye | hedge |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | die haghe | the enclosure |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | haghe | Alternative spelling of hāge |
| 6 | Old Dutch | hago | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | hagō | enclosure, yard; pasture |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *hagô | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰom | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰ- | to take, seize |