Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hostname” come from?

Hostname comes from Middle English oost, from Old French oste, from Latin hospitem, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰóstis meaning stranger or guest.

hostname (English): The unique name by which any device attached to a...

Definitions

  1. The unique name by which any device attached to a...

Ancestry of “hostname”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhostOne which receives or entertains a guest,...
2Middle Englishhost—
3Old Englishhwōstacough; a cough
4Proto-West Germanichwōstōcough
5Proto-Germanichwōstôcough
6Proto-Germanichwōsanąto cough
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeh₂s-to cough
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷeh₂s- →