Where does “host” come from?

host (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from English host, from Middle English host, from Old English hwōsta, from Proto-West Germanic hwōstō, from Proto-Germanic hwōstô, from Proto-Germanic hwōsaną, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeh₂s- — to cough.

host (Norwegian Nynorsk): a single cough expulsion; host

Definitions

  1. a single cough expulsion; host

Ancestry of “host”, 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- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwōsaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwōstô →