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hospitiolum

Etymology and origin of the Latin word hospitiolum

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Jerome
Ultimate origin
Latin (hospes)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin hospitium
Latin hospitiolum

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [hɔs.pɪˈti.ɔ.ɫũː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [os.pitˈt͡siː.o.lum][1]

Forms

hospitiolum n (genitive hospitiolī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin hospitium (“hospitality, lodging”) + -olum, a diminutive, from hospes (“host, guest”).[2][1] ⟨hospes⟩ is, according to de Vaan, a compound of hostis (“stranger, enemy”) and the root of potis (“able”), from Proto-Italic *xostipot-.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lewis & Short call it Late Latin, citing Jerome's letters, and Köbler also cites Ulpian.[4][5] Köbler dates Jerome c. 383–419/420 AD.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant a small guest room, a little lodging or inn.[2][4][6]

In Medieval Latin it was a small dwelling and an inn, also as hostiolum.[7] British Medieval Latin used it for modest lodgings.[8]

Timeline

  • before 223 AD – Ulpian uses it.[5]
  • c. 383–419/420 AD – Jerome uses it.[4][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A small guest room; a little lodging, inn.[2][4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A small dwelling.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Hospitiolum.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/hospitiolum. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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