hostile (English)

Where does "hostile" come from?

The English adjective 'hostile' was borrowed from Middle French 'hostile'[1]. The Middle French term traces back to the Latin 'hostīlis'[1], which combined the noun 'hostis', meaning 'enemy'[1], with the suffix '-īlis'[2]. Going further back, the Latin 'hostis' derived from Proto-Italic '*hostis'[3], originating in the Proto-Indo-European '*gʰóstis'[3]. Interestingly, ancient writers such as Varro noted that the ancient meaning of this root was a stranger or guest rather than an enemy, showing how the sense shifted over time from a foreigner to an active opponent[3].

Open questions

• The ultimate Proto-Indo-European derivation of '*gʰóstis' from '*gʰes-' combined with '*-tis' or from '*gʰo' combined with '*steh₂-' is uncertain and has competing proposals. [4]

Full etymology tree

• hostile (English), 'Not friendly; appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence or a desire to thwart and injure.'
  • borrowed hostile (Middle French)
    • inherited hostilis (Latin), 'hostile'
      • derived hostis (Latin), 'an enemy of the state, an enemy, a hostile, opponent, foe'
        • inherited *hostis (Proto-Italic), 'stranger, guest'
          • inherited *gʰóstis (Proto-Indo-European), 'stranger, host'

Ancestors

• hostilis (Latin)

Descendants and derived words

• go hostile (English)
• hostile architecture (English)
• hostile environment (English)
• hostilely (English)
• hostileness (English)
• hostile possession (English)
• hostile vehicle (English)
• hostile witness (English)
• hostilize (English)
• nonhostile (English)
• semihostile (English)
• unhostile (English)

Sources

1. hostile (English) - Wiktionary
2. hostilis (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. hostis (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. gʰóstis (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
5. hostis (Proto-Italic) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris