hostis

Meaning

1. (declension-3, feminine, masculine) an enemy of the state, an enemy, a hostile, opponent, foe
2. (declension-3, feminine, masculine, plural, plural-only) the enemy

Concepts

enemy

foe

guest

adversary

deadhead

visitor

an enemy of the state

houseguest

Synonyms

hospes

colluctator

inimicus

inimīcus

adversarius

hostēs

Translations

ennemi

Feind

vijand

inimigo

enemigo

enemic

nemico

ospite

invité

Gast

hôte

convidat

convitato

Pronounced as (IPA)

[ˈhɔs.tɪs]

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *hostis, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis (“guest, stranger”), whence also Proto-Germanic *gastiz (English guest) and Proto-Slavic *gostь. Varro (de lingua latina 5.4) confirms this: tum eō verbō dīcēbant peregrīnum …, nunc dīcunt eum quem tum dīcēbant perduellem. ("Back then this word meant a stranger, today it means the same as perduellis - an enemy of the state.").