different between heyday vs hey

English

Etymology

Late 16th century, from earlier heyda (1520s), as exclamation – compare hey, hei. Sense “period of success, vigor” from 1751, which respelt as heyday based on unrelated day (as “period of time”) – compare day in the sun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?he?de?/
• Rhymes: -e?de?

Noun

heyday (plural heydays)

1. A period of success, popularity, or power; prime.

   The early twentieth century was the heyday of the steam locomotive.

2. (archaic) An exultation of the spirits; gaiety; frolic.

Synonyms

• day in the sun
• golden age
• golden years

Related terms

• hey

Translations

Interjection

heyday

1. A lively greeting.
   • 1798, Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey:

     "Heyday, Miss Morland!" said he. "What is the meaning of this? I thought you and I were to dance together."

2. (obsolete) An expression of frolic and exultation, and sometimes of wonder.
   • 1600, Ben Jonson - Cynthia's Revels :

     "Come follow me, my wags, and say, as I say. There's no riches but in rags; hey day, hey day, &c."

   • Here Jones, having ordered a servant to show a room above stairs, was ascending, when the dishevelled fair, hastily following, was laid hold on by the master of the house, who cried, “Heyday, where is that beggar wench going? Stay below stairs, I desire you.”

Synonyms

• (greeting): See Thesaurus:hello
• (expression of wonder): See Thesaurus:wow

References

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: h?, IPA^(key): /he?/
• Homophone: hay
• Rhymes: -e?

Etymology 1

From Middle English hey, hei, also without h- in ey, from Old English *h?, ?a (interjection), attested as first element in h?l?, ?al? (“O!, alas!, oh!, lo!”). Cognate with Dutch hé, hei (“hi, hey”), German hei (“hey, wow”), Danish and Swedish hej (“hello, hey”), Faroese hey (“hey, hello”), Old Norse, Icelandic and Norwegian hei (“hey”), Romanian hei, Russian ?? (ej, “hey”); see heigh. Probably a natural expression, as may be inferred from its presence with similar meaning in many other unrelated languages: for example, Burmese ??? (he:), Finnish hei, Unami hè, and Mandarin ? (?i), and various sound-alikes as Ancient Greek ??? (eîa) and Latin eia, eho, Sanskrit ?? (he). See also hello.

Alternative forms

• hay
• heigh

Interjection

hey

1. An exclamation to get attention.

2. A protest or reprimand.

3. An expression of surprise.

4. An informal greeting, similar to hi.

5. A request for repetition or explanation; an expression of confusion.

6. A meaningless beat marker or extra, filler syllable in song lyrics.

Synonyms

• (exclamation to get attention): oi, yo; see also Thesaurus:hey
• (expression of surprise): blimey, gee whiz, yowzah; see also Thesaurus:wow
• (for repetition or explanation): eh, huh
• (informal greeting): hi, howdy, wotcher; see also Thesaurus:hello

Related terms

Translations

See also

• huh
• hay is for horses
• hey on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

From French haie (“hedge”), with reference to the weaving patterns used in hedgelaying.

Noun

hey (plural heys)

1. (country dancing) A choreographic figure in which three or more dancers weave between one another, passing by left and right shoulder alternately.

Translations

Etymology 3

See he.

Noun

hey (plural heys)

1. Alternative spelling of he (Hebrew letter)

Anagrams

• Yeh, hye, yeh

Faroese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Interjection

hey

1. hi, hey, hello

   Synonyms: halló, góðan morgun, góðan dag, gott kvøld

   Antonyms: farvæl, vit síggjast

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hei?/
• Rhymes: -ei?

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hey, from Proto-Germanic *hawj?.

Noun

hey n (genitive singular heys, nominative plural hey)

1. (usually uncountable) hay

Declension

Etymology 2

Interjection

hey

1. hey

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English h??, h?e?, from Proto-West Germanic *hawi, from Proto-Germanic *hawj? (“hay”).

Noun

hey (uncountable)

1. hay

Alternative forms

• hey?, heygh, hay, ay, heyn, hayn, hei, hei?, heigh, hai, hain

Descendants

• English: hay
• Scots: hey
• Yola: hye, hey

References

• “hei, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English *h?, ?a. See English hey for more.

Interjection

hey

1. hey

Alternative forms

• hay, ay, he, heh, heigh

Descendants

• English: hey
• Scots: hey

References

• “hei, interj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Noun

hey

1. Alternative form of heye (“hedge”)

Etymology 4

Noun

hey (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of hye (“haste”)

Etymology 5

Pronoun

hey

1. Alternative form of he (“he”)

Etymology 6

Pronoun

hey

1. Alternative form of he (“they”)

Etymology 7

Verb

hey (third-person singular simple present heyeth, present participle heyynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle heyed)

1. Alternative form of heien (“to lift up”)

Etymology 8

Pronoun

hey (comparative heyer, superlative heyest)

1. Alternative form of heigh (“high”)

Portuguese

Verb

hey

1. Obsolete spelling of hei

Somali

Verb

hey

1. possess

Spanish

Alternative forms

• ey

Etymology

Borrowed from English hey.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ei/, [?ei?]

• (Imitating English) IPA^(key): /?xei/, [?xei?]

Interjection

¡hey!

1. hey!

   Synonyms: eh, oye

Related terms

• ah
• oh
• hala

Yola

Noun

hey

1. Alternative form of hye