Where did the word "Bungalow" derive from?

A bungalow is a type of building, originally from Bengal region in South Asia, but now found throughout the world. Across the world, the meaning of the word bungalow varies. Common features of many bungalows include verandas and being low-rise. In Australia, the California bungalow was popular after the First World War. In North America and the United Kingdom a bungalow today is a residential building, normally detached, which is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof, usually with dormer windows (one-and-a-half stories)

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

26 Comments

Lydia Coutts

The other day my family were talking about Indian words (including bungalow) that have been subsumed into the English language. Fortunate timing indeed!

ldross

He went out tiger hunting with an elephant and gun In case of accidents he always took his mum

Joyce Greenlees

drjkmiller, Not strange at all. My husband and I discuss all manner of interesting topics and have discussed the very same subject as Lydia Coutts. The origins of the English language, which includes words from many other languages used in everyday conversations is actually very interesting. Many words are derived from Norman French, Germanic, Latin, Greek, Saxon, Scandinavian, to name but a few. It’s all relative, I suppose.

james parrillo

Steve Tingle, Using terms from other languages is not a hostile takeover. It is applying precise descriptions another culture has created. The English language has all manner of words borrowed from the Greek, Romance languages, and more. That is the beauty of etymology. Wouldn't stolen mean that the original users do not have them anymore? Maybe, the idea should be that languages have incorporated the foreign words for everyday use. Thank you, Christine, James's wife

Steve Tingle

I live in a 'dormer' bungalow. My linguist friend often referred to 'borrowed' words in English (and other languages) but I pointed out we weren't going to give them back so 'stolen' would be a better description.