'Hey' ( perhaps originally a natural expression) appears to be at the origin of 'hi', while 'hello' seems to have no connection with the previous two terms and a different origin (mainly as a telephone greeting). Hi: greeting, 1862, American English (first recorded reference is to speech of a Kansas Indian), originally to attract attention (15c.), probably a variant of Middle English hy, hey ...
'Hey, is for horses' is a complete non-sequitur. It can be used as either a pithy bon mot to jostle a friend, or a snide comment to completely distract and put off a mere acquaintance. Any reasonable person who is non-confrontational and relatively interested in the conversation will more than likely never say it unless you know them well.
For example: “But hey, at least now you know.” As opposed to, “But, hey, at least now you know.” The question also applies to other interjections like “hey son” and “oh well.” What is the correct usage?
Some people consider hey to be an inappropriate greeting ("Hay is for horses"), but among those who do not, I wouldn't say that hey yourself has any inherently negative connotation. Its meaning is literal: hey to you as well I could say it dismissively or menacingly, but also flirtatiously or cordially. In such casual exchanges, the tone, tempo, body language, and other cues will impart far ...
I am not a native speaker. I really want to know what's the difference between Hi and Hey in writing an email? In daily conversation? Is it too girlish or childish for a man to say hey in his email...
It's a personal preference. Both "hi there" and "hi" are informal greetings that can be used interchangeably. That being said, I rarely (if ever) hear someone use "hey there" or "hi there". I would say that those forms have fallen into relative disuse. If you happen to be a Mouseketeer in the 1950's, you may not have a choice in the matter.
For example: "Hey, haven't seen you in ages! How are you?" versus "Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. How are you doing?" "I haven't seen you since the funeral — how are you doing?" "How are you doing: is the new baby still keeping you up all night?" "How are you?" should never be answered negatively or in too much detail.
Basic grammar may tell you the "Hey" is an "interjection." When used to specifically address a person (or an audience,) as in your example, the Hey there is a "vocative adjunct" with an interpersonal function of addressing between speaker & listener (or writer & reader): "O, Romeo, Romeo …" This consists of relatively emotional words or phrases which express an exclamation, a call, a curse ...
0 If you're in a big box store, say, you might say to a guy who works there, Hey buddy, do you know which aisle the mops are in? You could say to a guy on a train platform, a fellow commuter, Hey buddy, do you know if the next train is the express or the local?
