Hostelling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The practice of temporarily residing in an affordable lodging option that typically offers shared rooms and communal facilities for socializing among travelers
2. An arrangement involving the use of economical accommodations where guests commonly share spaces and engage with fellow travelers during their stay
3. The act of staying in budget-friendly lodgings that usually feature shared sleeping areas and communal amenities for interaction among guests

Etymology: "Hostelling" is simply "hostel" with the "-ing" suffix attached, so the interesting history lies in the noun it grows from. "Hostel" came into English from Old French "hostel," meaning a lodging or inn, which itself descends from Late Latin "hospitale," a guest-house, the same root that gave us "hospital" and "hospitality." The two words were once near-doubles in English: "hostel" and "hospital" both meant a place where travellers were housed, and the distinction between them only hardened later. The "-ing" ending turns the noun into a verb-like activity, so "hostelling" names the act of staying in such lodgings rather than the building itself. Its literal sense therefore follows the older meaning of "hostel" as a place of lodging, now narrowed to budget accommodation with shared rooms and common spaces.

Synonyms: lodging, staying, accommodating