A Lagos-based editor, Bamidele Johnson, a few days ago caused a linguistic stir online. In a Facebook post, he wondered why some people are fond of referring to a toilet as a bathroom. According to him, a toilet is simply a toilet and one should feel free to call it so.
He wrote: “Bathroom? I understand if it has a bathtub or shower tray in addition to a water closet. But calling a toilet without a bathtub or water closet bathroom is “fumbling” taken too far. It gets worse when it’s called restroom as though it has a hammock, sunbed, armchair or is for “lodging and accommodation”. Na overdose go wounjure oyinbo people.
“For Yorubaland na shalanga. For Igbo land na onu-nsi. For Hausaland na salug. For Gaa land na tiafi. For Ashanti land na yarni.”
Reactions to the post are largely humorous, with some of the followers subtly supporting Johnson’s argument, while others reinforce how controversial the use of ‘toilet’ as a word can be. Here are some of them:
- ‘For Ibadan, it’s igbonse (ile igbonse).’
- ‘Is it your restroom?’
- ‘Wetin ‘consign’ you?’
- ‘God bless Fela.’
- ‘Don’t just leave us groping. What should it be called instead?’
- ‘It is a washroom in Canada.’
- ‘But na all of us get am now.’
- BT, I’m in the baff room. I’ll respond to you when I commot.’
- ‘For Ekiti, na ugbo iyin we dey use. In my community, there are ori apata constantly desecrated especially every morning.’
- ‘For Kikuyu land na choco.’
Beyond Johnson’s rebellion, the fact is that many people believe that a bathroom is simply that room where people take a bath, while a toilet is where we do the other things – urinate and defecate, for instance. But in the real sense, the connection between the words is more intriguing, if not complicated. Their meanings are interwoven. So, you should always be careful while handling them.
Bathroom
A bathroom can be a combination of both a bath/shower and a toilet. That is why, as the editor (Johnson) too implied, Cambridge Dictionary defines it as ‘a room with a bath and/or shower and often a toilet’.
This indicates that a bathroom can just be a room with a bath. It can be a room harbouring just a shower. It can be one combining a bath and a shower. At times, the bathroom combines the bath/shower and a toilet, but it is not every time the toilet is included.
Toilet
As a noun, a toilet can be the device inside which people urinate or defecate. It can also mean a room with a toilet in it. This is in line with the British English that Nigeria adopted.
American English
The case is more interesting in American English, where a bathroom refers to a room with a toilet. No bath, no shower! So, when you refer to a toilet as a bathroom, you have started flirting with American English.
Synonyms of ‘toilet’
In public places, many find it embarrassing to use the word ‘toilet’ even when in need of it. (This is what our man, Johnson, is allergic to!) So, it is normal to go for a synonym. Here are some popular synonyms of ‘toilet’: convenience, restroom, the Ladies, the Gents, ladies’ room, men’s room and loo. Note that you will be taking a risk if you ask for a bathroom when you need a toilet because it is not all bathrooms that contain such.
Meanwhile, here are some common synonyms of bathroom: shower, shower room and steam room.
