English
lavatory
Lavatory comes from Late Latin lavātōrium ‘a washroom or -place, particularly a lavatorium’, from Latin lavō ‘to wash’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewh₃-‘to wash’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lowō‘to wash’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElavōas lavāre‘to wash’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElavātōrium‘a washroom or -place, particularly a lavatorium’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lavatorie‘a receptacle to hold water used for religious purposes’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1375lavatory
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewh₃-‘to wash’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*lowō‘to wash’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElavōas lavāre‘to wash’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CElavātōrium‘a washroom or -place, particularly a lavatorium’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lavatorie‘a receptacle to hold water used for religious purposes’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1375lavatory
Earliest quotation: a. 1375, Lay Folks Mass Book, Appendix iv: “Whon he haþ vsed he walkeþ riht To Lauatorie…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- ‘to wash’
laundry, lavish, lye, solute, lather, latrine, lavage, 14 more
through Latin lavō ‘to wash’
deluge, alluvial, launder, ablution, diluent, lave, 9 more
through Late Latin lavātōrium ‘a washroom or -place, particularly a lavatorium’
Another origin of lavatory
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElavātōrius
- Englishtodaylavatory
Today it means
noun A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- / lavatory