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hé

Etymology and origin of the French word hé

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Onomatopoeia
First attested
c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (e)

Pronunciation

Forms

hé[1]

Etymology

It is an imitative interjection, written “e” in Old French and “hé” from the 17th century.[2][3][4][5] It forms hélas, from “hé” and Old French las (“wretched”), and ohé.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

As e it is found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, as an interjection of invocation.[5][2]

Semantic evolution

Molière writes hé in 1655 to express regret or surprise, and Furetière (1690) records it for calling someone or giving a warning.[4][5] Doubled, hé ! hé ! takes on shades of approval, irony or hesitant agreement depending on the tone (Voltaire).[5][6] Hélas is found in 1176–1184 (elas), and its two parts long stayed separate, with a feminine hélasse, ohé is recorded as oé in 1215.[2] In Canadian French hé is also used as a tag asking for agreement.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – E in the Vie de saint Alexis.[5]
  • 1176–1184 – Elas “alas”.[2]
  • 1215 – Oé.[2]
  • 1655 – Hé in Molière.[4][2]
  • 1690 – Furetière records it for calling someone.[5]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. hey: used to call someone or attract attention: hé ! vous, là-bas.[6][5]
  2. Used to give a warning: hé ! prenez donc garde.[7][6]
  3. Strengthening what follows: hé oui !, hé bien !.[6]
  4. Expressing regret or surprise: hé ! pauvre enfant.[5][7]
  5. Hé ! hé !: expressing approval, irony or teasing, depending on the tone.[6][5]
  6. (Canada) A tag asking for agreement: eh?[1]

Word family

  • hélas
  • ohé

Usage notes

Hé is pronounced like eh and et.[6] In Belgium a separate noun hé means a wooded slope.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Hé.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/h%C3%A9. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·