Where did the word apartment come from?

The word apartment comes from the French word “appartement”.

Why do the British call apartments flats?

Flat, as as a dwelling, is derived from a Scottish word “flet” meaning a floor or storey of a house or building. It also has a secondary derivation because the rooms of an apartment are usually all on the same level, so an apartment is flat.

When did apartments become a thing?

In contrast to these “apartments,” which were simply personal suites within great houses, the apartment house as it is known today first appeared in Paris and other large European cities in the 18th century, when tall blocks of flats for middle-class tenants began appearing.

When was the word apartment first used?

1645
The first known use of apartment was circa 1645.

Who came up with the idea of apartments?

Wealthy New Yorkers began buying luxury “cooperative” apartments, a concept first introduced in the early 1880s as “home clubs” by New Yorker Philip G. Hubert. New York was also home to the first combination loft living spaces, called “studio apartments,” for artists.

What is an apartment building called?

Such a building may be called an apartment building, apartment complex, flat complex, block of flats, tower block, high-rise or, occasionally, mansion block (in British English), especially if it consists of many apartments for rent.

What do the British call a driveway?

In American English, we say driveway. In British English we’d call it a drive.

What do British call holidays?

They will generally be called “public holidays” or “bank holidays”. Whilst the used of the word “vacation” might be used for a private holiday in the UK, it’s relatively rare. In general, the noun “vacation” would be used to describe a period when something, like a role or post had been “vacated”.

How are condos different from apartments?

The biggest difference between a condo vs. apartment is ownership. An apartment is defined as a residence that is rented, often as part of a larger residential building. A condo is similar in structure to an apartment — usually a unit within a larger residential building — but condos are owned instead of rented.

What does apartment mean in British?

flat
In British English the usual word is “flat”, but apartment is used by property developers to denote expensive ‘flats’ in exclusive and expensive residential areas in, for example, parts of London such as Belgravia and Hampstead.

What does apartment mean in British English?

In British English, a flat is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a large building. In American English, a set of rooms like this is usually called an apartment.

What do British people call apartment complexes?

In British English, a large building containing flats is usually called a block of flats. The building was pulled down to make way for a block of flats. In American English, and sometimes in British English, it is called an apartment building or an apartment block.

What is the origin of the word apartment?

The word Apartment derives from the French appartement. This word was from the Italian appartimento, with the Italian root appartare, meaning “to separate, to distinguish, to set apart”. Italy took this word from the Latin root partem (of the form ad + pars), which means “a piece, a part”.

What is the meaning of apartapartments?

Apartments are so called because they are apart— rooms within the same building that are private from one another, thus keeping occupants apart from one another despite living under the same roof. 25 insanely cool gadgets selling out quickly in 2021.

What is an apartment called in the UK?

In Britain, apartments are called “flats”, as everyone knows. The word flat originated from the Germanic flet, which means “flat, level, ground”.

What is another name for a building with many apartments?

Such a building may be called an apartment building, apartment complex, flat complex, block of flats, tower block, high-rise or, occasionally, mansion block (in British English), especially if it consists of many apartments for rent. A high-rise apartment building is commonly referred to as a residential tower,…