Okay. How did you know I have the Oxford English Dictionary Online open in another tab?
Originally it was two words, "cup board":
1. A ‘board’ or table to place cups and other vessels, etc. on; a piece of furniture for the display of plate; a sideboard, buffet. (See also COURT-CUPBOARD.) Obs.
c1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1440 Couered mony a cup-borde with cloes ful quite. c1380 Antecrist in Todd 3 Treat. Wyclif 150 Loke Cristis copborde. ?a1400 Morte Arth. 206 The kyngez cope-borde was closed in silver.
By the 16th century the words had been run together, and it was often spelled 'cubberd' or 'cubbert' or similar. But in the 18th century, when the first dictionaries were printed and spelling was regularised, the more 'correct' etymological spelling 'cupboard' was promoted by scholars and pedants, and so it became established.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
What if it has a shower but no bath?
I mean, I agree that a room that's basically a toilet and basin is not a bathroom, but a toilet (or possibly "powder room"), but I'd call a room containing a shower a bathroom.
Are we talking a full-size room that has a toilet and a handbasin and a cabinet, but a shower cubicle instead of a bath? I'd probably call that a bathroom, but I'm not sure I've ever encountered it (except maybe in a hotel?).
A small room that just has a shower, though, I'd probably call "the shower". Or "the shower room", or "shower cubicle".
It's reasonably common here to have a shower instead of a bath. I'd say maybe fifty percent of Aussie bathrooms have a bath and shower, and the others just have a shower. It'd be rather odd to have a bathroom without a shower, though.
Useless fun language fact: the Danish word for "shower" translates to "fizzy bath". Therefore, since England was once ruled by the Danes, it follows that the English word for "bathroom" covers showers as well.
I've lived in places that had that; but to be fair, we're talking about pokey bedsits and houses converted to fit 15 students into a normal-sized family home, that sort of thing.
I don't know about how common they are, but that's the way I designed my sisters master bathroom when I did her house a year or two ago (it was a request on their part.)
Really? They have a master bathroom with no sink or toilet? I've seen bathrooms that have a shower stall instead of a bathtub (my parents' master bathroom is like that), but never a room with just a shower and nothing else.
Unless it's one of those enormous bathrooms that's basically two separate rooms - but even then, you usually have the shower/bath and toilet together, and the sink/vanity separate.
Not exactly. It's a room within a set of rooms. They started out requesting two separate bathrooms a his and a hers and wanting complete privacy. There was no way to do that and keep down the square footage so they ended up with sort of a bath/dressing suite. There's a private watercloset, an enclosed shower "room" with both shower and dressing area. And then a room with the lavs that connects these rooms to both the closets and the laundry room, which is still pretty flipping elaborate (I think) but less so than having two entirely separate bathrooms than they wanted for the master bedroom.
By the time the closets and laundry are included, it's as big as the master bedroom! Which I find pretty hilarious because it's on the second floor so their bedroom = both of the boys bedrooms put together!
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 10:49 pm (UTC)Originally it was two words, "cup board":
1. A ‘board’ or table to place cups and other vessels, etc. on; a piece of furniture for the display of plate; a sideboard, buffet. (See also COURT-CUPBOARD.) Obs.
c1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1440 Couered mony a cup-borde with cloes ful quite. c1380 Antecrist in Todd 3 Treat. Wyclif 150 Loke Cristis copborde. ?a1400 Morte Arth. 206 The kyngez cope-borde was closed in silver.
By the 16th century the words had been run together, and it was often spelled 'cubberd' or 'cubbert' or similar. But in the 18th century, when the first dictionaries were printed and spelling was regularised, the more 'correct' etymological spelling 'cupboard' was promoted by scholars and pedants, and so it became established.
Oh, and in British English a 'bathroom' is definitely a room with a bath in it. It might also have a toilet, but if there's no bath, it's not called that.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 10:55 pm (UTC)What if it has a shower but no bath?
I mean, I agree that a room that's basically a toilet and basin is not a bathroom, but a toilet (or possibly "powder room"), but I'd call a room containing a shower a bathroom.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:00 pm (UTC)A small room that just has a shower, though, I'd probably call "the shower". Or "the shower room", or "shower cubicle".
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:04 pm (UTC)It's reasonably common here to have a shower instead of a bath. I'd say maybe fifty percent of Aussie bathrooms have a bath and shower, and the others just have a shower. It'd be rather odd to have a bathroom without a shower, though.
(My bathroom has both.)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-21 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 01:11 am (UTC)Is this common? I've never seen it in a house, and it sounds very odd.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 08:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:39 pm (UTC)Unless it's one of those enormous bathrooms that's basically two separate rooms - but even then, you usually have the shower/bath and toilet together, and the sink/vanity separate.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 03:21 am (UTC)But now I'm envious of their spacious bath suite! lol
no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 02:05 pm (UTC)My sis went a bit house mad. :)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:03 am (UTC)One of my bathrooms at home just has a shower instead of a shower/bath tub.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 11:39 pm (UTC)The phrase 'linen press' is making me giggle, though.