Hospitality is attested in the late fourteenth century. The “act of being hospitable,” from Old French ospitalité “hospitality; hospital,” from Latin hospitalitem (nominative hospitalitas) “friendliness to guests,” from hospes (genitive hospitis) “guest; host.” It is cognate to GUEST, HOST, GHOST, and all are related to the Proto-Indo-European root for “stranger”—[*ghos-ti-]—one to whom one bears reciprocal duties of hospitality.