frat-house
Meaning
A house owned by or serving as the residence for members of a college fraternity.
Structure
Usage
The loud party could be heard from the frat-house down the street.
He lived in the frat-house during his sophomore and junior years.
The university imposed new rules on all frat-houses regarding noise and safety.
Etymology
The term is a modern American English compound, formed in the 20th century. Its first element, "frat," is a clipped form of "fraternity," which itself originates from the Latin fraternitas, meaning "brotherhood," derived from frater (brother). The second element, "house," has Germanic roots, from Old English hūs, meaning a dwelling or building. The compound literally means "a house for a brotherhood," logically evolving to specify the residential building occupied by the members of a social fraternity at a college or university. This reflects the institutionalization of these social organizations within the physical campus landscape.
Analysis
- frat: A clipping/shortening of the word "fraternity", from Latin fraternitas (brotherhood), from frater (brother). Functions as a modifier. - house: From Old English hūs (dwelling, shelter, building). Functions as the head noun.