Natatorium
/ˌneɪ.təˈtɔː.ri.əm/noun
A building or room designed for swimming, especially one containing an indoor swimming pool.
Did you know?The word descends from Latin natāre, “to swim,” and echoes the Roman natatio, a large swimming pool found in imperial bath complexes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*snā-
“To swim or bathe; a reconstructed root associated with movement through water.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
néō
“To swim; a related Greek form connected with the same ancient aquatic root.”
Classical Latin
Latin
natāre
“To swim; the verb from which later swimming-related Latin forms developed.”
Classical Latin
Latin
natātorium
“A place for swimming, formed from natāre with a suffix meaning “pertaining to” or “place associated with.””
19th Century
English
natatorium
“An English revival of the Latin term for a swimming facility or pool building.”
Modern English
English
natatorium
“An indoor swimming-pool building, commonly used in architectural, educational, and institutional contexts.”