OpenEtymology

dormitory

UKˈdɔːmɪtriUSˈdɔːrmɪtɔːri

Meaning

1n

a large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution.

2n

a building at a college or university containing rooms where students live.

Structure

word structure
1
dormit
sleep
+
2
ory
place for

Usage

the university requires all first-year students to live in a dormitory.

the old boarding school had a large, drafty dormitory with twenty beds.

the noise from the dormitory kept the other residents awake.

Etymology

the word dormitory has its roots in the latin verb 'dormire', meaning 'to sleep'. the latin noun 'dormitorium', meaning 'a sleeping place', was formed from this verb. this term was adopted into middle english as 'dormitorie' via old french. the core logic of the word is transparent: it literally means 'a place for sleeping', which evolved to specifically denote a communal sleeping room or a residential building for students.

Analysis

Structure
dormit (sleep) + ory (place for)=dormitsleep+oryplace for

dormit originates from latin 'dormire' (to sleep). ory is a suffix of latin origin, used to form nouns denoting a place for a specific activity.

Dormitory Meaning & Word Parts (dormit + ory) | OpenEtymology