Why do we say hello when we answer the telephone?

Question

Why do we say hello when we answer the telephone and goodbye/bye bye/bye/ see ya/cheerio/see you later etc, when were ending the call

Answer 1

The first word used to anwer the phone was the nautical greeting " ahoy " because the first regular phone system was in the maritime state of Connecticut. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor, answered with the Gaelic " hoy ", but it was Thomas Edison's greeting of " hello ", an exclamation of surprise dating back to the Middle Ages, that caught on, and so we answer today with, "Hello?

 

Answer 2

Jesus...most of you people are idiot who are anwering "because it's polite, etc."  The question is why do say HELLO...the word H-E-L-L-O - why was that word chosen as the phone greeting???  I've only read one possible explanation, and I don't totally buy it.

Answer 3

Because of a Hungarian inventor named Tivadar Puskas who worked for Edison.
the rest of the story:

http://budapestpocketguide.com/tivadar-pusk-s/tivadar-puskas.html

the hungarian word "hallom" means i can hear you...

Answer 4

cuz we be gangsters an gangsters say hello an why we say bye its cuz we dne wit the convo an we got betta S**t to do peace niggas

Answer 5

Agreed it's polite and lets the other person know we are here and the conversation can begin,
and goodbye is just a polite way of saying conversation is over and you can hang up.  :)

Answer 6

what can be said apart from hello