Etymology Map
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Penthouse

3 stages from Late Latin to English.

Today it means a luxurious flat on the top floor of a tall building

Where does the word "penthouse" come from? It comes from Late Latin appendicium, passing through Anglo-Norman before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
appendicium
Late Latin · late antiquity
"appendage"
'an appendage', from appendere 'to hang on'
2
Stage 2 of 3
apentis
Anglo-Norman · 1200s
"lean-to"
a lean-to shed built against a larger building
3
Stage 3 of 3
penthouse
English · 1500s
"lean-to; rooftop apartment"
Middle English pentis was reshaped as if it were a 'house' (and linked with French pente 'slope'); the luxury top-floor flat sense arose in 1920s New York
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Read the full story

Penthouse’s story begins in Late Latin: appendicium meant “appendage.” 'an appendage', from appendere 'to hang on'. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Anglo-Norman as apentis. A lean-to shed built against a larger building. It reached English by 1500s as penthouse. Middle English pentis was reshaped as if it were a 'house' (and linked with French pente 'slope'); the luxury top-floor flat sense arose in 1920s New York. Today, penthouse means a luxurious flat on the top floor of a tall building.