Why do we say "Hello" when we answer the phone?

When we pick up the phone, the first word we say is usually "Hello". It happens automatically, and we rarely think about why we use this word. It is understood almost everywhere in the world, although pronunciation may vary. For example, in English-speaking countries they say "Hello", in Japan they say "Harro", in Germany and Denmark they say "Hallo", in Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania they say "Alo", and in Spain and Latin American countries they say "Hola". But why did this word become universal?

The word "Hello" appeared immediately after the invention of the telephone. Alexander Bell, the creator of the new form of communication, suggested using the greeting "Ahoy", which is simply translated as "Hey". This is exactly what sailors of the British fleet used to shout when meeting ships. But this option did not catch on.

Another physicist and inventor, Thomas Edison, offered another answer. In his letter to the president of the Pittsburgh Telegraph Company on August 15, 1877, he expressed confidence that there was no better word for telephone communication than "Hello." Soon, this greeting began to be used everywhere in telephone conversations.

Yes, the word "Hello" itself, which the whole world knows today, also appeared in the second half of the 19th century. And it was Thomas Edison who came up with it. The scientist based it on the exclamation "Hullo", which in English used to express surprise or attract attention.

There is another theory: the word "Allo" comes from the French language, where "Allô" means "Hello". Its use in Russian is probably due to the strong influence of French culture in Russia in the 19th century. Interestingly, today many people replace "Allo" with a simple "Yes" or "I'm listening".

But there are countries in the world where it is not customary to use "Hello" or "Hello". For example, if you call an Italian, you will almost certainly hear "Pronto" on the line. This means that the subscriber is listening to you and is ready to talk. In Germany, "Hallo" is only said during informal calls. If the call is for work, then Germans often answer "Ja" ("Yes") and immediately after that they give their last name.

Do you know any other ways to answer calls that are accepted in other countries?