Inns

/ɪnz/ noun

Definition

Small hotels or lodging houses, typically in rural areas, that provide accommodation and often meals for travelers.

Etymology

From Old English 'inn' meaning 'dwelling, lodging', related to the word 'in'. Originally meant any dwelling place, but specialized to mean public lodging houses by the 14th century.

Kelly Says

Medieval inns were often the only safe places for travelers, serving as unofficial post offices, news centers, and meeting places for entire communities. The famous Tabard Inn in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales was a real establishment in Southwark, London.

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