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Hey is a fairly prolific North American greeting.
Its use was once restricted to the place of its US origin, the deep south. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first citation of the word hey is found as early as 1225, and is defined as "a call to attract attention . . . an exclamation to express exultation . . . or surprise." Hey's often used stand-in, "Hi," is actually much newer, having become popular in the 1920s. Many languages use the word as a greeting, though a variety of spellings exist, including "hei." Finnish custom dictates the use of "hey, hey" to mean a warm goodbye.
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