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ahoy
EntityQ310609· pop 11· linked from 10 articles

Ahoy () () is a signal word used to call to a ship or boat. It is derived from the Middle English cry, ''. The word fell out of use at one time, but was revived when sailing became a popular sport. 'Ahoy' can also be used as a greeting, a warning, or a farewell.

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34 sections
Contents
  • Early forms and development
  • "a, hoy, hoay"
  • ahiu, â hui
  • Distribution and use
  • General information
  • English
  • First examples
  • Consolidation
  • The variant "ohoy"
  • German, diffusion
  • Research
  • Early evidence in translation
  • Early evidence in German source texts
  • The use of ''ahoi'' in German
  • Maritime context
  • Watersport
  • Carnival
  • Military
  • Candy
  • Cattle drive
  • Dutch
  • Theories of origin
  • Sources
  • Ahoy in Rotterdam
  • Scandinavian languages
  • Forms
  • Early evidence
  • Finnish and Estonian
  • Czech and Slovak
  • Theories of origin
  • nazdar, ahoj, ''čau''
  • Usage in youth culture
  • Teasing usage in Theresienstadt
  • References

Ahoy () () is a signal word used to call to a ship or boat. It is derived from the Middle English cry, ''. The word fell out of use at one time, but was revived when sailing became a popular sport. 'Ahoy' can also be used as a greeting, a warning, or a farewell.

One or another variation on the word is found in several languages. In Czech and Slovak, ahoj is a common, colloquial greeting, while 'hoi' in Modern Dutch and Swiss German, ‘oi’ in Brazilian Portuguese and Italian, and 'Ohøj' in Danish are informal greetings equivalent to the English 'hi' or 'hey'.

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