Where does “motel” come from?
motel (Romanian) comes from French motel, from English motel, from English hotel, from French hôtel, from Middle French hostel, from Old French ostel, from Latin hospitālis, from Latin hospes — to drink.
Ancestry of “motel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | motel | — |
| 2 | English | motel | A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often... |
| 3 | English | hotel | A large town house or mansion; a grand private... |
| 4 | French | hôtel | mansion, town house, hotel; hotel |
| 5 | Middle French | hostel | shelter; living quarters; place to stay; hotel;... |
| 6 | Old French | ostel | shelter; place to stay |
| 7 | Latin | hospitālis | — |
| 8 | Latin | hospes | host; guest, visitor; stranger; foreigner |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | hostipotis | host |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | χostipotis | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰostipotis | master of guests |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |