Hostel, Hotel and Hospital Are the Same Word
A hostel offers cheap lodging. It shares an origin with hotel, hospital and hospitality.
A hostel is an establishment offering cheap shared accommodation. It belongs to a large family from Latin *hospes*, a guest or host: *hotel*, *hospital*, *hospitality*, *hospice* and *host* all descend from it. The S in hostel is the older form; French dropped it and marked the loss with an accent, giving *hôtel*.
- Cheap shared lodging. *A youth hostel.*
- A residence for a group. *A student hostel.*
- Hotel — the same word without the S. *A city hotel.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hostel | A youth hostel. |
| Plural | hostels | Mountain hostels. |
| Related | hotel | A small hotel. |
| Related | hospital | A district hospital. |
| Related | hospice | A palliative hospice. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They stayed in a youth hostel.Cheap shared accommodation.
- Hostel and hotel are the same word.French lost the S.
- A hospice originally sheltered travellers.The modern sense is much narrower.
The *hospes* family
- Host — one who receives guests
- Hotel — a lodging house
- Hostel — the older form of the same word
- Hospital — originally a guest house, later for the sick
- Hospice — a shelter for travellers, now for the dying
From Old French *hostel*, from Medieval Latin *hospitale*, a guest house, from Latin *hospes*, a guest or host.
Why does French write *hôtel*?
The circumflex marks a lost S. Old French had *hostel*, and the accent records the letter that disappeared.
Are host and guest the same word?
Host comes from Latin *hospes*, which meant both guest and host. Guest is a separate Germanic word from a related root.