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
- A room containing a shower and/or bathtub, and a...
Ancestry of “bathroom”, step by step
bathroom traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English room
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | room | Opportunity or scope; Space "for" something, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | roum | A space or area; A room |
| 3 | Old English | rūm | room, space; roomy, spacious, ample, extensive,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rūm | roomy, spacious; room, open space |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |