Etymology of Brothel

[Menydh]

After getting a rep. comment where he someone mentions the word brothel, I thought that it would be nice to share this story which, apparently, points to the etymology of the word brothel.

English -> brothel
Castillian -> burdel
Catalan -> bordell
Occitan & French (via Provençal) -> bordel
Italian -> bordello
Others?

The origins of the word are in the name of the traditional houses in the Aragonese, Catalan and Occitan Pyrenees: borda.

The story I heard was that a period of time (sorry, no idea when exactly), these houses in the Pyrenees and pre-Pyrenees were used to organize weekend meetings between prostitutes and their customers. Apparently to avoid law enforcements in the cities.

If someone has more information, please put it here.


P.S. Yes, I've seen claims for a different etymology.

[Carnyx]

Germanic "bord" (board, plank), Francic "borda" (ditto), Provençal "borda" (cabin), French "bordel" (cabin, little house) and after "bordel" with the sense of "prostitutes house".

[Nerthus]

In German it is Bordell.

Anyway, this is some information I found on www.etymonline.com:

brothel "bawdy house," c.1593, shortened from brothel-house, from brothel "prostitute" (1493), earlier "vile person" (of either sex), 14c., from O.E. broðen pp. of breoðan "deteriorate, go to ruin," from P.Gmc. *breuthanan, var. of *breutanan "to break." In 16c. brothel-house was confused with unrelated bordel (see bordello) and shifted meaning from a person to a place.

bordello 1598, from It. variant of M.E. bordel "house of prostitution" (c.1305), from O.Fr. bordel "brothel," dim. of borde "hut made of planks," from Frank. *bord "board." Sense of "brothel" in Eng. first recorded 1850.

[bocian]

Burdel in Polish.

[Balhara]

Bardak in Bulgarian.

I`ve always thought the word is of Turkish origin- maybe I've been wrong..

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

After getting a rep. comment where he someone mentions the word brothel, I thought that it would be nice to share this story which, apparently, points to the etymology of the word brothel.

English -> brothel
Castillian -> burdel
Catalan -> bordell
Occitan & French (via Provençal) -> bordel
Italian -> bordello
Others?

The origins of the word are in the name of the traditional houses in the Aragonese, Catalan and Occitan Pyrenees: borda.

The story I heard was that a period of time (sorry, no idea when exactly), these houses in the Pyrenees and pre-Pyrenees were used to organize weekend meetings between prostitutes and their customers. Apparently to avoid law enforcements in the cities.

If someone has more information, please put it here.


P.S. Yes, I've seen claims for a different etymology.

Padanese languages mostly bordèl or burdèl (amilian ones), venetian bordèo.

Thought it was italian in origin such as casino (little country house for hunting, gambling, fishing sports, located in noblemen lands).

It started also to mean a bad noise, jazz, intricated situation beside meaning obviously bordèl.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by BALHARA

Bardak in Bulgarian.

I`ve always thought the word is of Turkish origin- maybe I've been wrong..

Bardak means glass in Turkish, if I remember well.