Where did the term flat come from for an apartment?

In the United Kingdom, Australia and many other parts of the world, the word ‘flat’ is used to mean an apartment or a house. It is derived from the Scottish word ‘flet’ which means the interior of a house. In Old English, flet means house or floor. The word flat may also be linked to the “flatness” of the abode.

What does the root word flat mean?

(Latin: to blow, a puff of wind or air; by extension, accumulation of gas in the stomach or bowels)

What is the difference between a flat and an apartment UK?

As mentioned above, the word flat refers to an abode made up of several rooms on a single floor within a building that contains other, similar residences. Apartments, on the other hand, are generally considered to be the flat’s more well-to-do cousin.

What does flat mean in housing?

apartment
An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are many names for these overall buildings, see below.

What is the difference between flat and apartments?

Flat: Flat is an individual residence with a set of rooms, typically, on one floor and within a larger building containing a number of such residences. Apartment: Apartment is a room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than one household.

What does flat mean in England?

1 `flat’ In British English, a flat is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a large building. She lived in a tiny furnished flat near Sloane Square. 2 `apartment’ In American English, a set of rooms like this is usually called an apartment.

What is a 4 in a block house called?

Cottage flats, also known as four-in-a-block flats, are a style of housing common in Scotland, where there are single floor dwellings at ground level, and similar dwellings on the floor above.

What is the difference between an apartment and a flat?

The primary difference between an apartment and a flat is that the term ‘apartment’ is mostly used in American English, whereas ‘flat’ is used in UK or British English. Both indicate a set of rooms that are on the same floor and are meant to be used as a personal residence. Though it is rare,…

Why do British people call apartments flats?

These rooms were, of course, apart. In Britain, apartments are called “flats”, as everyone knows. The word flat originated from the Germanic flet, which means “flat, level, ground”. It was used to mean an inner room in a house. JRR Tolkien uses the word in his Fellowship of the Ring thus:

What is the definition of a flat apartment?

In British English, a flat is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a large building. She lived in a tiny furnished flat near Sloane Square. 2. ‘apartment’. In American English, a set of rooms like this is usually called an apartment.

What is a flat in English?

Flat is usually a noun or an adjective, but it is sometimes an adverb. 1. ‘flat’ used as a noun. In British English, a flat is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a large building. …a ground floor flat.