'guesthouse' originates from the combination of 'guest' and 'house', where 'guest' meant 'a person who is invited to visit someone's home' and 'house' meant 'a building for human habitation'.

'guesthouse' evolved from the Old English words 'gest' and 'hūs', eventually becoming the modern English word 'guesthouse'.

Initially, it meant 'a house for guests', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.