Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bathroom” come from?

Bathroom is a modern English compound of bath and room, where room derives from Old English rūme, Proto-Germanic rūmaz, and Proto-Indo-European rowə-, ultimately from the root bʰeh₁- meaning to grow or become.

bathroom (English): A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a...

Definitions

  1. A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a...

Ancestry of “bathroom”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishroomOpportunity or scope; Space "for" something, or...
2Middle EnglishroumA space or area; A room
3Old Englishrūmroom, space; roomy, spacious, ample, extensive,...
4Proto-West Germanicrūmroomy, spacious; room, open space
5Proto-Germanicrūmazroomy, spacious, open
6Proto-Indo-Europeanrewh₁-free space

Words derived from “bathroom”

  • bathroomless
  • bathroomy
  • bathroomlike
  • bathroomgoer
  • multibathroom
  • bathroomette
  • باٹھروم
Every word from Proto-Indo-European rewh₁- →