'auberge' originates from French, specifically the word 'auberge', ultimately from Old French 'alberge' (also recorded as 'herberge'), where the element derived from a Germanic source meaning 'shelter' or 'lodging'.

'auberge' changed from Old French 'alberge'/'herberge' (in medieval French) and was borrowed into English as the modern loanword 'auberge', preserving the sense of a place providing lodging or meals.

Initially it meant 'shelter' or 'lodging' (with links to Germanic terms for refuge or shelter), and over time it narrowed in French and in English usage to refer specifically to a small inn or country hotel, often noted for its restaurant.