Driving around doing errands today. Radio on Maine Public Radio broadcast of address to National Press Club. I just caught a bit of it. Who was speaking heaven knows but he sounded authoritative. Anyway he was saying that words we take for granted as being around since time began are not really that old. He cited "Hello." According to speaker the word "hello" was made up as a telephone greeting that would be non-specific and neutral....after all what if a gentleman called on the phone and a lady answered ! Heavens! Remember that was the 1890s. The alternate proposed was "Ahoy!" The two men involved were Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. I am unclear on exactly which man proposed which word but I think it was Bell for Hello and Edison for Ahoy!
Anyone have more? WOW