Pragmatic functions of the interjection hello

In previous research, the English interjection hello has been described as a greeting or as a call for attention (a ‘summons’). However, in informal spoken conversation, it has a range of other pragmatic functions that have not been accounted for. This article describes these functions as they are manifested in a corpus of televised talk shows. Using a conversation analytic methodology, we account for the sequential characteristics and the pragmatic meanings of the interjection beyond those of greeting and summons. We show that it may be used to express surprise or positive evaluation, to reproach someone for some misconduct, and to evaluate a state of affairs negatively. It may also mark a proposition as obvious. In many of the instances, the interjection is produced with one of two characteristic emphatic intonation contours. The article also discusses the semantic relationships between the different usages and meanings of the interjection. • The interjection hello may be used as a reproach for misconduct. • As An affective marker, it may express surprise and positive or negative evaluation. • As An epistemic marker, it may mark a proposition as either obvious or unexpected. • Some of the functions are related and have some degree of semantic overlap.