"Hella" is an all-purpose word. It has its roots deep in the soul (I meant to type soil, but soul works here too, haha) of Northern California. It means something along the lines of "very" or "really," but it's much more than that. It's not just a word, but a statement of cultural identification, of a long-standing bond of trust and respect for fellow Northern Californians, and of a mutual understanding between you and the rest of the world that you are from (or, in the case of anyone who has lived with kids from NorCal, that you are an honorary resident) NorCal. As the subtle innuendoes of the word can only be understood by absorption, one must experience and be engulfed by it (as Northern Californians are from birth) to truly understand when its usage is appropriate. Hella is a word. It's a symbol. It's a way of life. Hella.

Hella. Originated from the streets of San Francisco in the Hunters Point neighborhood. It is commonly used in place of "really" or "very" when describing something.

A multi-purpose word invented by people in north california, indigenous to the Bay Area.

Adjective: To describe a lot of something or something good.

Noun: A lot of

Adverb: Suplemental, inferrs a great quantity or that you're doing something and DOING IT RIGHT!

Interjection: An affirmation of what someone just said

very, totally; lots of

N.B. Generally used in Northern California.

hella is to nor*cal what wicked is to boston

Term used to indicate personal superiority. When spoken in conversation, the receiving party immediatley knows that the person saying the word is of a high class because of that person's NorCal roots.
Thusly, if the receiver is not of the same geography and stature, negative emotions arise from envy. A primary example is that of the frustrated SoCal dweller who is frequently subjected to the mighty and humbling presence of NorCalers.
Alternatively, Hella can alert other prestigious NorCalers that they are dealing with a higher species much like themselves.

Derived from "hell of a lot". Similar to "very, really, a lot," etc.

Used mostly in Northern California though has been heard in other parts of CA and even in the media such as an infamous "hella" South Park episode. (Cartman used it outside of its meaning to annoy Kyle.)

An intensifier, with a grammatical function and usage similar to "very" or "really".

It's a contraction of "hell of", and may have originated in Alameda County, California. It was definitely in common use in Berkeley public schools as far back as 1979.