Room Meant Space Before It Meant a Chamber
A room is a part of a building. The word first meant open space, as it still does in phrases.
A room is a part of a building enclosed by walls, and also space in general. The space sense is the older one: Old English *rum* meant open space or extent, and it survives untouched in *make room*, *standing room* and *room for improvement*. The walled-chamber sense only appears in the 1400s. German *Raum* still covers both, and the same root probably underlies the name *Rome* only by coincidence.
- A chamber. *A spare room.*
- Space. *Make room.*
- Opportunity. *Room for improvement.*
- Roomy — spacious. *A roomy car.*
- Old English — *rum*, space. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | room | A room. |
| Plural | rooms | Rooms. |
| Adjective | roomy | Roomy. |
| Compound | roommate | A roommate. |
| German | Raum | Space. |
- The room was cold.Chamber.
- Make room for one more.Space.
- Room for improvement.Idiom.
Where the older sense survives
- Make room — create space
- Standing room only — no seats left
- Room for improvement — scope to get better
- Elbow room — space to move freely
- Roomy — having plenty of space
Old English *rum*, space or extent, of Germanic origin, related to German *Raum* and Dutch *ruim*.
Which sense of room is older?
Space. Old English rum meant extent or open space, and the walled-chamber sense appears only in the 1400s.
Where does the older sense survive?
In phrases such as make room, standing room and room for improvement.