Morpheme
Hostage
Type
free base
Denotation
lodging, residence, guarantee, pledge
Etymology
Middle English hostage, ostage; Old French hostage, ostage; of unknown origin but possibly from either (1) Old French hoste or (2) Latin obsīdānus, from obses, from ob- + base of sedēre and also with spelling likely influenced by Latin hostis
Evidence
hostage, hostaged, hostagehood, hostager, hostages, hostageship, hostaging
