hostess
UK[ˈhəʊstəs]US[ˈhoʊstəs]
n
a woman who receives or entertains guests.
n
a woman who acts as host for a television or radio program.
n
a woman employed to welcome and assist customers, especially in a restaurant or on an airplane.
Morpheme Breakdown
host
ess
host
one who entertains
ess
female suffix
Etymology
the word 'hostess' is a relatively modern english formation, built upon the older word 'host'. the root 'host' itself has a complex history, entering english from old french and ultimately deriving from latin hospes, which intriguingly held the dual meaning of both 'host' and 'guest'. this reflects an ancient indo-european concept of reciprocal hospitality, encapsulated in the pie compound ghos-pot- ('guest-master'). the feminine suffix '-ess' was later appended in english, following a pattern established via french from greek, to specify a female performer of the role. thus, the literal construction 'female host' evolved from a root signifying mutual hospitality to its modern professional and social senses.
Analysis
Structure: host (one who entertains) + ess (female suffix)
host (from old english host via old french hoste, from latin hospes meaning 'guest, host, stranger', of uncertain origin, possibly from pie ghos-pot- meaning 'guest-master'); ess (suffix forming feminine nouns, from old french -esse, from late latin -issa, from greek -ισσα (-issa)).
Examples
the hostess greeted each guest at the door with a warm smile.
she worked as a flight hostess for a major international airline.
the popular talk show is searching for a new hostess.