A hospitable innkeeper or tavern owner; a generous host.
From Boniface, a legendary 8th-century saint known for hospitality, whose name comes from Latin Bonifatius (bon = good, facio = I make/do). Used generically for any hospitable innkeeper.
George Farquhar's 1707 comedy 'The Beaux' Stratagem' features an innkeeper named Boniface, which cemented this word in English as a generic term for friendly hosts. Theater shaped our vocabulary more than we realize.
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