Guest
/ɡɛst/noun
A person who is invited to visit someone's home or attend an event.
Did you know?In Old English, 'guest' was linked to the concept of a 'stranger' or 'enemy,' suggesting that hospitality held a deeper, sometimes perilous significance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰostis
“A stranger or guest, often implying a relationship with spirits or the supernatural.”
Ancient Germanic
Old Norse
gestur
“A visitor or stranger, often with connotations of the unknown.”
Old English
OE
giest
“A guest or visitor; a person who receives shelter.”
Middle English
ME
gest
“A guest or visitor, emphasizing the bond of hospitality.”
Modern English
English
guest
“A person who is invited to stay; retaining the historical ties to hospitality and the unknown.”