# Hiya



## VenusEnvy

I was chatting with a male friend of mine (a native speaker of another language.... can you guess which language?...). I greeted him by saying, "Hiya!"

He had obviously never been greeted this way, as he asked me, "What does that mean?"

I told him that it was a colloquial way of saying, "Hello." I also added that it probably derives from saying, "Hi, you"... I ALSO added that I usually only hear women (or kids) use it.

What's your understanding of this word "Hiya"? Do you hear men use it as well?......


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## Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!

Last year, Weebl made a series of Christmas screen savers. I believe one of them had a snowman yelling "Hiya!" in an annoying high-pitched voice. I don't think I've ever actually heard it apart from that; I've just seen it a few times in chats.


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## judkinsc

I (Male American English Native.) do not use "hiya".  I do not like pronouncing the two short vowels in it at all.

I use "heya" quite frequently though, when speaking with friends.
Along with variants of "hey" and "heyas" (It looks plural, but I basically ignore that.)

Example:
I'm sitting in here typing on my laptop and my friend Bob comes over.
Me: "Heya, Bob.  How's it going?"

I do not use "Hi" very much, though.  I've basically replaced it with "heya".  I like the sound better.  "Hi" sounds very abrupt and almost rude to me.


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## VenusEnvy

Tekeli and popi: Thanks so much for your input! But, I was looking more for the opinions of natives, or people who have, indeed, heard this word.

Jud: So then, would you say that it's not something that males would say?...


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## judkinsc

Really, I think it's a personal preference.  

I believe, without polling the US, that you will not be able to verify that males do not use it.

I hear it quite frequently on IMs though...by both sexes.

My "heya" might be how another guy would pronounce "hiya".

I also use "Hey there" fairly often.


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## Moogey

I use it often on IM to greet people as "hello".

I don't think I've ever heard it said before; I thought it was one of those web-only things.

-M


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## VenusEnvy

I should add that we were chatting on-line... Maybe it's only used on-line then?..


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## Red Frog

"Hiya" is used quite a lot in the UK I think, though I get the feeling maybe more in the north than in the south. And I do have a male friend in the north who definitely uses the word! It 'fits' in quite well with the northern accent. 

In the south people tend more to say a kind of long, 2-syllabled "hiiii-iiiii".

I don't tend to say "hiya" myself (female, native English speaker), but then I'm of the southern English variety...!

This is only my humble opinion based on how I and my friends/family talk...just a few amongst millions...!


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## suzzzenn

I use hey much more than hiya. I might say hiya only once or twice a year. I use hiya and heya more online or when I am writing notes. Silly as it may be, it sounds friendly to me.


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## river

I believe the entire phrase is "Hiya, orright?" (translation: How are you - all right?) made popular by the British television show _East Enders_. I think just "orright" is used as a greeting in the UK, too.


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## Red Frog

river said:
			
		

> I believe the entire phrase is "Hiya, orright?" (translation: How are you - all right?) made popular by the British television show _East Enders_. I think just "orright" is used as a greeting in the UK, too.


 
Yes, true!!! Or even just 'right?' as a greeting, which where I'm from (south-west) is said 'roight'!


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## jo :)

As a native of south east England I agree with Red Frog that it's maybe a more northern thing, I don't hear it much round here but I'm sure it is used in conversation, not just online. I also agree that maybe it's used mostly by girls. I'm not sure that it's a shortening of 'how are you', though and I don't think it was invented by Eastenders! Actually I'd say if anything I hear it more on Coronation Street (set in the north)


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## Kelly B

I've only heard it from my grandpa in New York City, who used to say "Hiya, Kelly-kid!" when I walked in.


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## river

I also hear "Hi ya" in karate movies.


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## James Stephens

After having conducting exhaustive research on the subject, I find that "Hiya" is too cute for 96.83 percent of American males.


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## Moogey

James Stephens said:
			
		

> After having conducting exhaustive research on the subject, I find that "Hiya" is too cute for 96.83 percent of American males.


 
Of those 96.83%, 100% are insecure and surely quite immature.

-M


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## James Stephens

Yes, you are right, but that was the subject of another study.


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## Isotta

I say it quite frequently, especially answering the phone after the caller has identified himself. I think I picked this up at English school in Hong Kong, where everyone said it. It was always followed with "how are you?" The "ya" was always drawn out, and more like a "yeuh." I don't think this was a Northern issue, but a quirk of what we called "international English."

Z.


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## fenixpollo

Hiya, Venus! 





			
				James Stephens said:
			
		

> After having conducting exhaustive research on the subject, I find that "Hiya" is too cute for 96.83 percent of American males.


 I appear to be in the 3.17%, then, because I have always used both "hiya" and "heya", occasionally in an ironic way but usually not.  I use it in email/chat as much (or more) than I do when speaking.

See ya.


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## French_cdn_gurl

I'm a female however I've heard a few males say "Hiya" but their also pretty funny guys. They're class clows and therefore what you say they return to say it. I suppose it depends on the outlook of the person. Most men will say Heya instead of Hiya. However men are in general more lazy and wish to speak the least possible which I believe would be Heya.


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## jimreilly

Since I'm always worried about newcomers blundering into situations that they don't understand, I'll risk getting a little off the topic of "hiya" here.

Just a word of caution in regard to river's noting the extension of the phrase to "hiya, orright" and other variants: sometimes, in my city at least, particularly in some neighborhoods like the one where I worked for fifteen years, if you're walking on the street and someone you don't know asks you if you're all right that person is actually asking if you want to buy drugs. Assuming you're not in the market, you say "I'm OK thanks" or just shake you head and keep walking (I can't tell you what the proper response is if you are looking for drugs, not my thing). I have even heard (from people who are undeniably male and macho) "Hiya, orright?".

This is sort of like a waiter or waitress using the phrase "are you all right?" as he/she hovers over you with a coffee pot.


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## GenJen54

Female native AE speaker here. I can't say I've ever used it specifically, although I have heard it often, mostly on television, however. I'm more of a "hi" or "hey" kind of gal when greeting people informally. I wonder if this is more of a regional and/or generational variant?!


			
				judkinsc said:
			
		

> I (Male American English Native.) do not use "hiya". I do not like pronouncing the two short vowels in it at all.


Two short vowels? The way I hear it pronounced, the "i" is long, as in "high," or "island." As such, it's pronounced as "high-y3" (3 represents AE "schwa" sound).


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## elroy

French_cdn_gurl said:
			
		

> However men are in general more lazy and wish to speak the least possible which I believe would be Heya.


 
Not only are these assumptions completely unfounded  (male speaker of American English here), but "heya" is not any shorter than "hiya."

I personally say neither "hiya" nor "hey."  Most of the time I say "hey."


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## foxfirebrand

"Hiya" is a Jazz-Age colloquialism, and was common-- Kelly's grandpa and his generation, if I'm not too far off on the math.  So it's very much a generational thing.  "Hiya, kiddo!" is a set phrase from that era, and I remember it from black-and-white cartoons.  Betty Boop, more'n likely.
.


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## judkinsc

GenJen54 said:
			
		

> Two short vowels? The way I hear it pronounced, the "i" is long, as in "high," or "island." As such, it's pronounced as "high-y3" (3 represents AE "schwa" sound).


 
Aye, long.


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## Isotta

When I have heard it these days, and when I say it, "hiya" isn't a stacatto as it in "hiya, kiddo."  It's almost one very long syllable. The "ya" sort of disappears in the back of your throat, especially because you are invariably smiling when you say it.

Z.


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## panjandrum

WoW!
Fascinating how the simple "Hiya" that I have been familiar with since I was a child can be the topic for such a varied response I had always taken it as short for "How are you", the universal adult greeting in my childhood.

Of course, as said before, the PR machine has it that the most common greeting in my part of the world is *'bout ye*, an abbreviation of "How's about you", which is a variant of the English "How are you".


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## Ratona

"Hiya" is used quite often in Wales (at least North Wales), and "Ta-ra" is what you say for 'bye. 
I use it, I know my brother uses it and we've lived in the East Midlands most of our lives [to date]...
It's such a common and natural form of expression that I've never really thought who says it the most or not, male or female, from the North or South...hmm ah-ha! A male friend from the South definately says "Hiya" too...

So, I think it just depends on your own style of speech and whether you mix with others who say it too; and if you're a man, whether your voice is deep enough to not sound overly effeminate


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## HistofEng

It's kind of like saying *"see ya"* when saying goodbye (instead of the greeting "hiya"

incidently, I also say *"seeyaz"*


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## BasedowLives

i greet my friends online by saying "eya" and they do to me.  that would probably confuse most english speakers though...


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## tonch

I've only ever seen hiya in MSN conversations...

Consequently I have a friend who says "lol" and "omg" in real life.


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## chicoinglés

Hiya!


I'm just interested about this greeting (even as a native speaker). From what I gather it's used is confined to the UK and is mainly used (at least in my opinion) by female speakers (of a relatively young age on the whole) . Would you agree with this? I've also noticed that foreigners who have spent quite a long time in this country also use it often. Any opinions on this?

Jordan


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## Madrid829

I'm from the Great Lakes region in the States and my middle-aged mother (also a native of the area) uses this all the time, both in speech and in informal writing.  I don't know if she's representative of the general population, though — I'd be curious to hear what others from my side of the pond say.


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## dosage

From my observation it is more widespread in Scotland than England, but has nothing to do with gender or age. It's, however, only from the perspective of people who I met.

As far as foreigners are concerned, I was using this greeting for a few days after I got to know about its existence, but I felt a bit unsure about it and now I just go for a traditional hi or hello


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## freaque

I don't hear many people in the Toronto or Southern Ontario areas using "hiya" as a greeting.  I've always thought of it as a British thing.  I'm surprised to hear that it's apparently frequently used by Americans!


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## ewie

Like Panjandrum _[#27]_, I've used it all my life (well, all the bit I can remember), and heard it used by _everyone_ in Lancashire (well, everyone I've ever heard saying it), regardless of sex, age, etc.


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## sdgraham

chicoinglés said:


> Any more comments on this?



Back in the distant past, i.e. before television, there were certain "action shows" on radio on Saturdays for youngsters. One of these shows was sponsored by the Buster Brown Shoe Co. and was hosted by a fellow called "Smiling Ed McConnell" 

There was also a fictional character called "Froggy the Gremlin" who would "appear" (remember, this was radio) when old Smilin' Ed said "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggeeeeee!"

Froggy "appeared" with a twanging sound and the folksy "Hiya kids. Hiya, Hiya."

The point of all of this is, assuming you've stuck with this rambling, that the expression has been around the U.S. for a long time.


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## ewie

Raymond Chandler used it in _Farewell My Lovely_ (1940)


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## chicoinglés

That's interesting!  I don't know, someone told me it was common and only used by young check-out girls...ridiculous in my opinion cos my Spanish fiancée and I both use it all the time...


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## sound shift

A lot of my neighbours, male and female, use "Hiya" as a greeting. I get the impression that they see it as more informal than "Hello". Door-to-door salespeople are using it more and more (presumably, in the belief that we will find the informality endearing). I am sure I hear "Hiya" more here than I do further south.


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## chicoinglés

sound shift said:


> A lot of my neighbours, male and female, use "Hiya" as a greeting. I get the impression that they see it as more informal than "Hello". Door-to-door salespeople are using it more and more (presumably, in the belief that we will find the informality endearing). I am sure I hear "Hiya" more here than I do further south.


 
Hiya!

Yeah, I guess it is more of a northern thing, but I use it all the time and I'm from the south so it just goes to show you!


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## mplsray

sdgraham said:


> [T]he expression has been around the U.S. for a long time.



The Oxford English Dictionary cites a couple of examples from 1940:



> *1940* ‘N. BLAKE’ _Malice in Wonderland_ I ii. 31 ‘Hi-ya, boys and girls,’ he cried. ‘Hi-ya, Teddy,’ the cry went back. *1940* R. CHANDLER _Farewell, My Lovely_ xxxix. 309 Hiya, babe. Long time no see.


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## chicoinglés

Cheers for that, that's very interesting!  It would be very good if foreigners (especially those living in Britain now for a period of time) commented on whether they use 'hiya' or not, cos I would say that they'd probably tend to stick to 'hello' or 'hi', although as I say, my Spanish fiancée says 'hiya' all the time (she has a good teacher though, it has to be said)


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## susanna76

I kept hearing Hiya on the British TV show Cold Feet. I believe it was spoken by James Nesbitt, playing Adam. James Nesbitt is from Northern Ireland and the writer has adjusted his writing to fit with that. I wonder, is this British Hiya borrowed from the US, did it appear on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time, or is the UK Hiya the older one? Anyone can verify that somehow?


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## mplsray

susanna76 said:


> I kept hearing Hiya on the British TV show Cold Feet. I believe it was spoken by James Nesbitt, playing Adam. James Nesbitt is from Northern Ireland and the writer has adjusted his writing to fit with that. I wonder, is this British Hiya borrowed from the US, did it appear on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time, or is the UK Hiya the older one? Anyone can verify that somehow?



"N. Blake," mentioned in the Oxford English Dictionary cite given above, was "Nicholas Blake," a pseudonym for Cecil-Day-Lewis, who was, according to Wikipedia, an Anglo-Irish poet. Chandler, of course, was an American writer. Those 1940 cites are the first identified by the OED.


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## susanna76

Thank you!


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## jordanxthomas

Hiya, everyone! 

I actually find 'hiya' quite common here in the South - but it's usually for people you don't know well, or you've just met.

(i.e.)
- 'This is ...' (Presenting someone)
       - 'Oh, hiya! Nice to meet you' (Smile, with handshake if formal)


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## tomtombp

It's the most common greeting at the checkout in West Midlands.


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## Dale Texas

I've used it all my life.


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## Sarp84224

Is there anything wrong in males saying ‘hiya’?

I heard a guy say it to his mate yesterday and I noticed a few people giving him funny looks. Why was that? 

Is ‘hiya’ any different from hey, hi, hello, etc? 

Is it considered to be more feminine? 

I must admit it, I don’t normally hear guys saying it.


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## Egmont

I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and would not give anyone who said it a funny look. Perhaps those people thought he was speaking to them and gave him funny looks because they didn't know him.


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## bennymix

Sounds familiar, even affectionate.


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## sdgraham

Far back in the day, there was a Saturday morning radio program for kids, featuring "Smilin' Ed" McConnell" and his sidekick, Froggy the Gremlin, who had no feminine characteristics.
Smilin' Ed would summon Froggy to the microphone by saying, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" and Froggy would come on the air (after a period of twanger plunking) with a "Hiya, kids. hiya, hiya."
Smilin' Ed's Gang


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## natkretep

I tend to hear 'hiya' almost sung out with a high note and a mid-height note and prolonged. It's this version that I associate with women.


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## dojibear

Sarp84224 said:


> Is there anything wrong in males saying ‘hiya’?


Nope. It's fine.



Sarp84224 said:


> Is ‘hiya’ any different from hey, hi, hello, etc?


The "hi" part matches "hey/hi/hello". The "ya" part means "you". So it is like saying "hello, you". It is directed at a specific person or group. It is an interaction with that person or group. Usually it starts a conversation: "hiya/hi/hello" is the first thing spoken.



Sarp84224 said:


> I heard a guy say it to his mate yesterday and I noticed a few people giving him funny looks. Why was that?


There is a LOT more context here, that we don't know. What did his mate reply? What else was happening, that may have caused funny looks? Was his friend alone, or in a group? Was his friend talking? Did the speaker interact with the "people who gave him funny looks"? Was the speaker oddly dressed? Are you sure the "funny looks" were caused by "hiya" and not 40 other possible things he did or said? Did the speaker just arrive in the room? Was everyone else standing or sitting?

Was the friend expecting the speaker to arrive at that time? It sounds like it, but was he?


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## Dale Texas

I'll post again about this, speaking of AE only.

"Hiya" is NOT feminine or masculine, the greeting is completely gender neutral, used by both sexes but only under extremely casual circumstance of mutually feeling so comfortably friendly that formality would sound ridiculously weird, if not off-putting.

It probably is most often spontaneously used when these two people are passing each other quickly, say down a busy school or office corridor, and don't have any more time for further conversation.

"Hey" on the other hand, is more commonly not a greeting, it's *a vocal attention-getter,* often employed in a louder voice to hail some person who *for some reason is too far away or too busy *to hear you and thus know that you are around.

It can be used in anger with a stranger in some circumstances, for instance if someone does something wrong to you and they completely ignore that and keep walking away.  In which case you here the wronged party say:

"Hey *YOU!!*! You just knocked all the books out of my hand! Who do you think you *ARE???"

(*A fight might happen now.)


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