An archaic or nautical exclamation used to hail, greet, or attract the attention of someone, similar to 'ahoy.'
Related to 'ahoy,' from nautical tradition; possibly from Dutch 'hoi' or Scandinavian origins. It's an interjection used primarily by sailors and in maritime contexts.
'Ahoy' survived in modern English mostly because of pirates and nautical nostalgia, but there were multiple versions—'ahey,' 'ahey,' 'ahoy.'—all used to call ships. It's interesting how only one version stuck around in popular imagination.
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