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id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-top" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa"><div><div class="" style="position:relative"><h1 title="Origin and meaning of hostage" class="word__name--TTbAA">hostage<!-- --> <!-- -->(n.)</h1><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH"><p>late 13c., from Old French <span class="foreign notranslate">ostage</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">hostage</span> &quot;kindness, hospitality; residence, dwelling; rent, tribute; compensation; guarantee, pledge, bail; person given as security or hostage&quot; (11c., Modern French <span class="foreign notranslate">ôtage</span>), which is of uncertain origin. Either from <span class="foreign notranslate">hoste</span> &quot;guest&quot; (see <a href="/word/host#etymonline_v_14483" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of host " class="crossreference notranslate">host</a> (n.1)) via notion of &quot;a lodger held by a landlord as security&quot; [Watkins, Barnhart]; or else from Late Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">obsidanus</span> &quot;condition of being held as security,&quot; from <span class="foreign notranslate">obses</span> &quot;hostage,&quot; from <span class="foreign notranslate">ob-</span> &quot;before&quot; + base of <span class="foreign notranslate">sedere</span> &quot;to sit,&quot; with spelling influenced by Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">hostis</span>. [OED, Century Dictionary]. Modern political/terrorism sense is from 1970.</p></section><div class="word__firstRecorded--3lZB8">also from<!-- --> <a rel="nofollow" class="word__firstRecorded_time--28qNE" href="/search?sort=a&amp;q=from:late%2013c.">late 13c.</a></div></div></div></div><div class="related--32LCi"><h3 class="h3_title" title="words related to hostage">Entries linking to <i>hostage</i></h3><div class="related__details--2kumU"><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of host" href="/word/host#etymonline_v_14483">host<!-- --> <!-- -->(n.1)<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>&quot;person who receives guests,&quot; especially for pay, late 13c., from Old French <span class="foreign notranslate">oste</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">hoste</span> &quot;guest, host, hostess, landlord&quot; (12c., Modern French <span class="foreign notranslate">hôte</span>), from Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">hospitem</span> (nominative <span class="foreign notranslate">hospes</span>) &quot;guest, stranger, sojourner, visitor (hence also &#x27;foreigner&#x27;),&quot; also &quot;host; one bound by ties of hospitality.&quot;</p> <p>This appears to be from PIE <span class="foreign notranslate">*ghos-pot-</span>, a compound meaning &quot;guest-master&quot; (compare Old Church Slavonic <span class="foreign notranslate">gospodi</span> &quot;lord, master,&quot; literally &quot;lord of strangers&quot;), from the roots <a href="/word/*ghos-ti-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *ghos-ti- " rel="nofollow" class="crossreference notranslate">*ghos-ti-</a> &quot;stranger, guest, host&quot; and <a href="/word/*poti-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *poti- " rel="nofollow" class="crossreference notranslate">*poti-</a> &quot;powerful; lord.&quot; The etymological notion is of someone &quot;with whom one has reciprocal duties of hospitality&quot; [Watkins]. The biological sense of &quot;animal or plant having a parasite&quot; is from 1857.</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of H" href="/word/H#etymonline_v_1350">H<!-- --> <span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>eighth letter of the alphabet; it comes from Phoenician, via Greek and Latin. In Phoenician it originally had a rough guttural sound like German <span class="foreign notranslate">Reich</span> or Scottish <span class="foreign notranslate">loch</span>. In Greek at first it had the value of Modern English <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span>, and with this value it passed into the Latin alphabet via Greek colonies in Italy. Subsequently in Greek it came to be used for a long &quot;e&quot; sound; the &quot;h&quot; sound being indicated by a fragment of the letter, which later was reduced to the aspiration mark.</p> <p>In Germanic it was used for the voiceless breath sound when at the beginning of words, and in the middle or at the end of words for the rough guttural sound, which later came to be written <span class="foreign notranslate">-gh</span>.</p> <p>The sound became totally silent in Vulgar Latin and in the languages that emerged from it; thus the letter was omitted in Old French and Italian, but it was restored pedantically in French and Middle English spelling, and often later in English pronunciation.</p> <p>Thus Modern English has words ultimately from Latin with missing <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span> (<a href="/word/able" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of able " class="crossreference notranslate">able</a>, from Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">habile</span>); with a silent <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span> (<a href="/word/heir" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of heir " class="crossreference notranslate">heir</a>, <a href="/word/hour" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hour " class="crossreference notranslate">hour</a>); with a formerly silent <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span> now often vocalized (<a href="/word/humble" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of humble " class="crossreference notranslate">humble</a>, <a href="/word/humor" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of humor " class="crossreference notranslate">humor</a>, <a href="/word/horizon" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of horizon " class="crossreference notranslate">horizon</a>, <a href="/word/herb" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of herb " class="crossreference notranslate">herb</a>); and even a few with an unetymological <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span> fitted in confusion to words that never had one (<a href="/word/hostage" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostage " class="crossreference notranslate">hostage</a>, <a href="/word/hermit" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hermit " class="crossreference notranslate">hermit</a>). Relics of the formerly unvoiced <span class="foreign notranslate">-h-</span> persist in pedantic insistence on <span class="foreign notranslate">an historical (object)</span> and in obsolete <span class="foreign notranslate">mine host</span>.</p> <p>The pronunciation &quot;aitch&quot; was in Old French (<span class="foreign notranslate">ache</span> &quot;name of the letter H&quot;), and is from a presumed Late Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">*accha</span> (compare Italian <span class="foreign notranslate">effe</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">elle</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">emme</span>), with the central sound approximating the rough, guttural value of the letter in Germanic. In earlier Latin the letter was called <span class="foreign notranslate">ha</span>. The use in digraphs (as in <span class="foreign notranslate">-sh-</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">-th-</span>) goes back to the ancient Greek alphabet, which used it in <span class="foreign notranslate">-ph-</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">-th-</span>, <span class="foreign notranslate">-kh-</span> until <span class="foreign notranslate">-H-</span> took on the value of a long &quot;e&quot; and the digraphs acquired their own characters. The letter passed into Roman use before this evolution, and thus retained there more of its original Semitic value.</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of *ghos-ti-" href="/word/*ghos-ti-#etymonline_v_52835">*ghos-ti-<!-- --> <span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>Proto-Indo-European root meaning &quot;stranger, guest, host,&quot; properly &quot;someone with whom one has reciprocal duties of hospitality,&quot; representing &quot;a mutual exchange relationship highly important to ancient Indo-European society&quot; [Watkins]. But as strangers are potential enemies as well as guests, the word has a forked path.</p> <blockquote> The word <strong>ghos-ti-</strong> was thus the central expression of the guest-host relationship, a mutual exchange relationship highly important to ancient Indo-European society. A guest-friendship was a bond of trust between two people that was accompanied by ritualized gift-giving and created an obligation of mutual hospitality and friendship that, once established, could continue in perpetuity and be renewed years later by the same parties or their descendants. [Calvert Watkins, &quot;American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots&quot;] </blockquote> <p>It forms all or part of: <a href="/word/Euxine" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of Euxine " class="crossreference notranslate">Euxine</a>; <a href="/word/guest" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of guest " class="crossreference notranslate">guest</a>; <a href="/word/hospice" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hospice " class="crossreference notranslate">hospice</a>; <a href="/word/hospitable" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hospitable " class="crossreference notranslate">hospitable</a>; <a href="/word/hospital" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hospital " class="crossreference notranslate">hospital</a>; <a href="/word/hospitality" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hospitality " class="crossreference notranslate">hospitality</a>; <a href="/word/hospodar" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hospodar " class="crossreference notranslate">hospodar</a>; <a href="/word/host#etymonline_v_14483" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of host " class="crossreference notranslate">host</a> (n.1) &quot;person who receives guests;&quot; <a href="/word/host#etymonline_v_14484" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of host " class="crossreference notranslate">host</a> (n.2) &quot;multitude;&quot; <a href="/word/hostage" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostage " class="crossreference notranslate">hostage</a>; <a href="/word/hostel" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostel " class="crossreference notranslate">hostel</a>; <a href="/word/hostile" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostile " class="crossreference notranslate">hostile</a>; <a href="/word/hostility" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostility " class="crossreference notranslate">hostility</a>; <a href="/word/hostler" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hostler " class="crossreference notranslate">hostler</a>; <a href="/word/hotel" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of hotel " class="crossreference notranslate">hotel</a>; <a href="/word/Xenia" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of Xenia " class="crossreference notranslate">Xenia</a>; <a href="/word/xeno-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of xeno- " class="crossreference notranslate">xeno-</a>; <a href="/word/xenon" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of xenon " class="crossreference notranslate">xenon</a>.</p> <p>It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek <span class="foreign notranslate">xenos</span> &quot;guest, host, stranger;&quot; Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">hostis</span>, in earlier use &quot;a stranger,&quot; in classical use &quot;an enemy,&quot; <span class="foreign notranslate">hospes</span> &quot;host;&quot; Old Church Slavonic <span class="foreign notranslate">gosti</span> &quot;guest, friend,&quot; <span class="foreign notranslate">gospodi</span> &quot;lord, master;&quot; Old English <span class="foreign notranslate">gæst</span>, &quot;chance comer, a stranger.&quot;</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="8757723469" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div><div class="ngram--SmXCf"><h3 class="h3_title" title="Trends of hostage">Trends of <i>hostage</i></h3><div class="ngram__container--NwjaG" style="height:180px"><canvas id="ngram-chart"></canvas></div><div class="ngram__footer--3-9dX">adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.</div></div><div class="related--32LCi"><h3 class="h3_title" title="More to Explore">More to Explore</h3><div class="related__details--2kumU"><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="syn_ant" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of surety" href="/word/surety"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">surety<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">c. 1300, seurte, &quot;a guarantee, promise, pledge or assurance,&quot; from Old French seurté &quot;a promise, pledge, guarantee; assurance, confidence&quot; (12c., Modern French sûreté), from Latin securitatem (nominative securitas) &quot;freedom from care or danger, safety, security,&quot; from securus (se</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of Stockholm" href="/word/Stockholm"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">Stockholm<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">Four bank employees were held hostage in a vault for more than five days during which time the hostages developed a dramatic...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of prisoner" href="/word/prisoner"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">prisoner<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">(earlier &quot;a jailer,&quot; mid-13c., but this did not survive Middle English), from Old French prisonier &quot;captive, hostage&quot; (12c...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of yellow ribbon" href="/word/yellow%20ribbon"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">yellow ribbon<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">displaying a yellow ribbon to signify solidarity with loved ones or fellow citizens at war originated during the U.S. embassy hostage...When the hostage families organized as the Family Liaison Action Group (FLAG), they took the yellow ribbon as their symbol...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of pledge" href="/word/pledge"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">pledge<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">mid-14c., plegge, &quot;surety, bail,&quot; from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) &quot;hostage, security, bail,&quot; also Anglo-Latin...</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of congregation" href="/word/congregation"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">congregation<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">late-14c., congregacioun, &quot;a gathering, assembly, a crowd; an organized group, as of a religious order or body of scholars; act of congregating,&quot; from Old French congregacion (12c., Modern French congrégation) and directly from Latin congregationem (nominative congregatio) &quot;an as</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of touch" href="/word/touch"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">touch<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">late 13c., &quot;make deliberate physical contact with,&quot; from Old French tochier &quot;to touch, hit, knock; mention, deal with&quot; (11c., Modern French toucher), from Vulgar Latin *toccare &quot;to knock, strike&quot; as a bell (source also of Spanish tocar, Italian toccare), perhaps of imitative orig</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of course" href="/word/course"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">course<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">c. 1300, &quot;onward movement, motion forward, a running in a prescribed direction or over a prescribed distance; path or distance prescribed for a race, a race-course&quot; from Old French cors &quot;course; run, running; flow of a river&quot; (12c.), from Latin cursus &quot;a running; a journey; direc</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of interpret" href="/word/interpret"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">interpret<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">late 14c., &quot;expound the meaning of, render clear or explicit,&quot; from Old French interpreter &quot;explain; translate&quot; (13c.) and directly from Latin interpretari &quot;explain, expound, understand,&quot; from interpres &quot;agent, translator,&quot; from inter &quot;between&quot; (see inter-) + second element proba</section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8" style="padding:10px 20px"><div><a class="recommended-word" rel="nofollow" data-recommended-type="complete" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of care" href="/word/care"><div class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="font-size:18px">care<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></div><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined word__etymology_limit_line--3DeZW" style="cursor:pointer">Old English caru, cearu &quot;sorrow, anxiety, grief,&quot; also &quot;burdens of mind; serious mental attention,&quot; in late Old English also &quot;concern, anxiety caused by apprehension of evil or the weight of many burdens,&quot; from Proto-Germanic *karō &quot;lament; grief, care&quot; (source also of Old Saxon </section></a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div class="share-tool socialShare--223YS"><h3 title="Share hostage to social networks" class="socialShare__title--34iP2">Share <i>hostage</i></h3><div class="cite--1qJ-_ share-cite">‘<!-- -->cite<!-- -->’</div><a title="Share on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Fhostage" data-social-target="Facebook" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__facebook--2fm3U fa-facebook"></a><a title="Share on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Fhostage&amp;text=hostage%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20hostage%20by%20etymonline" data-social-target="Twitter" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__twitter--1iFxf fa-twitter"></a><a title="Share on Reddit" href="https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Fhostage&amp;title=hostage%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20hostage%20by%20etymonline" data-social-target="Reddit" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__reddit--30bBu fa-reddit"></a><a title="Share on Email" href="mailto:?subject=hostage%20%7C%20Etymology%20of%20hostage%20by%20etymonline&amp;body=%22kindness%2C%20hospitality%3B%20residence%2C%20dwelling%3B%20rent%2C%20tribute%3B%20compensation%3B%20guarantee%2C%E2%80%A6%20See%20origin%20and%20meaning%20of%20hostage.%0Afrom%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Fhostage%20Find%20out%20more%20at%20etymonline.com" data-social-target="Email" target="blank" rel="nofollow" class="fa share socialShare__icon--3FJac socialShare__icon__email--3hVBm fa-email"></a><div class="cite__content--3ghsO cite-content"><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">Page URL:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">HTML Link:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage&quot;&gt;Etymology of hostage by etymonline&lt;/a&gt;</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">APA style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of hostage. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">Chicago style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper Douglas, “Etymology of hostage,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage.</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">MLA style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of hostage.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage. Accessed $(datetimeMla).</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">IEEE style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">D. Harper. “Etymology of hostage.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/hostage (accessed $(datetime)).</textarea></div></div><p class="wordDetail__date--3r7r8">updated on September 28, 2017</p><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="7656336158" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div></div><div class="ant-col-xs-24 ant-col-sm-24 ant-col-md-24 ant-col-lg-6"><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 removeAdsContainer--3mV2b horizontal"><a href="/premium?utm_source=remove_ads"><div class="removeAdsBtn--2W3KN">Remove ads &gt;</div></a><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-right" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px"></div></div><div class="trending__normal--2eWJF"><h3 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class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of carat" href="/word/carat">7<!-- -->. <!-- -->carat</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of arcane" href="/word/arcane">8<!-- -->. <!-- -->arcane</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of vatican" href="/word/vatican">9<!-- -->. <!-- -->vatican</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of joy" href="/word/joy">10<!-- -->. <!-- -->joy</a></li></ul></div><div class="alphabetical--2oTZG"><h3 title="words in alphabetical order" class="h3_title">Dictionary entries near <i>hostage</i></h3><a title="Origin and meaning of hospitaller" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hospitaller"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hospitaller</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hospodar" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hospodar"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hospodar</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hoss" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hoss"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hoss</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of host" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/host"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">host</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hosta" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hosta"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hosta</p></a><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2 alphabetical__active--FCYcm">hostage</p><a title="Origin and meaning of hostel" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hostel"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hostel</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hostelry" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hostelry"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hostelry</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hostess" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hostess"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hostess</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hostile" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hostile"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hostile</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of hostility" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/hostility"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">hostility</p></a></div></div></div></div><div class="alphabet--3sMXd"><ul class="alphabet__inner--2NEtM"><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter A"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=a">A</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter B"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=b">B</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter C"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=c">C</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter D"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=d">D</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter E"><a rel="nofollow" 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