People held by someone as security, often to force others to meet demands or surrender.
From Old French 'hostage,' derived from 'host' meaning guest or lodging. Originally, a hostage was someone sent to stay with an enemy as a pledge of good faith, evolving to mean someone held captive.
The word 'hostage' originally came from the idea of 'hospitality'—'host' in Old French meant guest or lodging, and hostages were originally guests sent to enemy territory as security, which is a chillingly different take on the concept of 'hosting' someone!
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