Where does “lavatory” come from?
lavatory (French) comes from English lavatory, from Middle English lavatorie, from Late Latin lavatorium, from Latin lavō, from Proto-Italic lawaō, from Proto-Indo-European léwh₃eti, from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- — to wash.
lavatory (French): public toilet
Definitions
- public toilet
Ancestry of “lavatory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lavatory | A vessel or fixture for washing, "particularly:";... |
| 2 | Middle English | lavatorie | A receptacle to hold water used for religious... |
| 3 | Late Latin | lavatorium | A washroom or place, a lavatorium |
| 4 | Latin | lavō | to wash, bathe |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | lawaō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | léwh₃eti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewh₃- | to wash |