hé Dutch · revision 37281

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=1612}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɦeː/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''hé'''^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a natural exclamation used to catch someone's attention.^(EWN) Words of this kind are rarely written down, so their history is hard to trace.^(EWN) Other languages have similar forms that need not be borrowed: [[fr|hé]], [[en|hey]], [[de|he]] and [[sv|hej]].^(EWN) In modern Dutch the interjection is also used as a greeting, a variant of [[hoi]], since catching someone's attention is part of greeting them.^(EWN)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is Early Modern Dutch ''he'', used to attract attention, in 1612.^(EWN)^(WikiWoordenboek)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Besides calling for attention, the interjection expresses surprise, pleasant or not, and strengthens a question asked for confirmation.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek) As an informal greeting it stands beside ''hoi''.^(EWN)^(WikiWoordenboek) It is also written ''hee''.^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1612 – ''He'' as a call for attention is first recorded.^(EWN)^(WikiWoordenboek)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # [[m|en|hey]]: a call for attention: ''hé, wacht even!''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An exclamation of [[m|en|surprise]].^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # An exclamation of pleasant surprise.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # Strengthening a question that expects agreement: ''leuk, hé?''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(informal)'' A greeting, hi.^(WikiWoordenboek)^(EWN)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hoi]]

+ * [[en|hey]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Hé, poppelepee!'' is a playful cry of surprise.^(Van Dale 2014)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}