Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hostel” come from?

Hostel comes from Middle English hostel, from Old French ostel, from Latin hospes meaning guest or host.

hostel (English): A commercial overnight lodging place, with...

Definitions

  1. A commercial overnight lodging place, with...

Ancestry of “hostel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhostelA hostel or guesthouse; accomodation; Fun or...
2Old FrenchhostelAlternative form of ostel
3Latinhospitāle—
4Latinhospitālis—
5Latinhospeshost; guest, visitor; stranger; foreigner
6Proto-Italichostipotishost
7Proto-Italicχostipotis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʰostipotismaster of guests
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
10Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink

Words derived from “hostel”

  • hosteller
  • hostelling
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →