Where does “lavatory” come from?
Lavatory comes from Middle English lavatorie, from Late Latin lavatorium, from Latin lavo meaning "to wash," derived from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃-.
lavatory (English): A vessel or fixture for washing, "particularly:";...
Definitions
- A vessel or fixture for washing, "particularly:";...
Ancestry of “lavatory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lavatorie | A receptacle to hold water used for religious... |
| 2 | Late Latin | lavatorium | A washroom or place, a lavatorium |
| 3 | Latin | lavō | to wash, bathe |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | lawaō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | léwh₃eti | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewh₃- | to wash |
Words derived from “lavatory”