Sitting room

[coccinelle]

Hi, this cropped up in one of my English (ESL) lessons today; a boy used 'sitting room' which he's learned at school. Is this still used in UK?
When I was a kid (up north, like) we had a back kitchen, a kitchen and a sitting room. As years went by the back kitchen became the kitchen , the kitchen became the living-room and the sitting room ended up being a study. This room initially was only used for visitors or to play the piano or listen to the record player. Bedrooms were only used to sleep in (they were really cold too in winter!)
So, is 'sitting room' still used nowadays? I don't want to correct him if it is stiil used.

[smudge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_room

[mallam]

This is so-o interesting.
I do urge you not to 'correct' your student, coccinelle It is stiil used, and preserves some important distinctions.

If your back kitchen (scullery?) became the kitchen, the kitchen became the living-room and the sitting room ended up being a study, was this not because of alterations in their design and decor for the purpose of changing their use according to changing customs, rather than just terminology?

And for you too, Diane1954, but with the old 'sitting room' staying close to its original function as a 'front room' instead? Don't you suspect coccinelle's study does so too, when her living-room is in the bigger mess? I know mine did before I had a drawing room. But I would never dare to call it that. It wasn't grand enough in the first place, and it's always in a bigger mess than the dining room. It's not at the front either, and we haven't got a 'living room' (unless the kitchen), so guess what we call it?

At least neither of you have one of these dread 'lounges'.

And Lil, what evidence could you possibly adduce for the claim that 'sitting room' is falling out of use?

Yes, Clanad. Here it's 'parlour' of course. There often used to be a 'front parlour' (Diane's 'front room') and a 'back parlour', but I don't see what's circumlocutory about any of these terms.

I admit that the evidence Lil needs might well be your local paper, Diane. Do any of these houses have 'lounges' as well as sitting rooms, perhaps? Estate agents don't eschew 'lounge' without good reason!

[mallam]

And smudge, never, ever say "never, ever". Interesting link, but Wiki can't glibly say 'lounge' is from Latin, and tho Western decor is now more common In Japan, they typically have it in the 'guest room', based on the old drawing room.

Do you agree with Wiki's claim that in recent years the term "great room" has come to be used to denote the family room, especially if it is open to the kitchen etc? A fascinating rebirth of the 'great hall'.

[NOOLYBROCEHT]

I say living room

[Ice.Maiden]

Hey jake - our rooms have various names which've been used since the year dot, and we still have a drawing room! : )

[mrs.chappie]

When we bought our house, the estate agent called one of the rooms a "family room".

I think this must be a fairly new description as I had not heard of it before.

[Ice.Maiden]

Think it's what they perhaps call the living room, chappie - where most families gather together to watch TV or whatever.

[mrs.chappie]

The funny thing is though Ice, I'd call it the dining room, as it is directly off the kitchen. We have a room at the front of the house which I would call the living room. That's the room the estate agent called the dining room! I always thought the dining room would have to be next to the kitchen.

[coccinelle]

Well, mrschappie the dining-room would be better off near the kitchen but in days gone by it wasn't in the mansions. You can't really call a dining-room a dining-room if it hasn't got dining-table and chairs.
To explain the functions of our rooms; the back kitchen was where the food was cooked (there was a walk in pantry behind), the kitchen was where we ate, watched TV, sat in front of the fire and the sitting-room as I mentioned where we took visitors, listened to recors and played the piano (it had had a fireplace but was blocked up and replaced by an electric fire).
Thank you so much for your replies, I realize how many words can be used for the same room. In French it's easier ' le salon'

[smudge]

mallam - I can say, never, ever if I want! ;o}

[mallam]

But smudge, surely you don't object to my multi-layered injunction?Only trying to enjoin consistency! :o)

"Never, ever" is under the same accusation as 'lounge', and you can never ever really say never ever about anything in language!

BTW we do also 'sit' in the dining room, but functionally speaking it is for dining and the sitting room specifically for sitting. And re your Japanese it has just occurred to me to point out that their 'ima' originally meant 'sitting room', but for anyone who is still aware of its composition at all, in modern Japanese it means 'being room', a room for being in, which is nice, isn't it?

And more accurate than 'salon', coccinelle. That's just Italian for 'great hall', bringing us back to Wiki's alleged 'great room' I referred to above. The reason I'm sceptical about that is that most modern houses are too poky to have a great anything. And isn't 'le living-room' or 'le living' trendy any more? At least you seem to have avoided the pitfalls of 'le sitting'!

[coccinelle]

Hi mallam.
Un living in french is in fact a living-room cabinet with cupboards, shelves and drinks cabinet inside. It's a piece of furniture which covers a large part of the wall. I used to hear this years ago but no longer so, only with elderly people. I've never heard 'un living-room' here.
Thanks for your posts, very constructive.

[mallam]

Hi again, coccinaucinihilipilification.
Le Dictionnaire Cambridge Klett, for one, still recognises both in my sense:
�living m living-room <living-rooms> m living room�
I guessed your �living� was short for �armoire living�, and sure enough I soon found �armoire living, chene rustique,300x200cm,bon �tat,transformable,150 euro� on the www! Not happy with chene for ch�ne though!
Dare I wonder what age you are?
How sweet of you to think my posts constructive. So do I. Can�t say I�m so sure about some of the posts on this site!

[jno]

My parents said sitting room but gradually changed over to lounge as being the more modern term, and I still sometimes say lounge (no need for you all to shriek in horror). But I think the more usual term in Britain today is living room. Drawing room and parlour both sound rather Victorian - you might perhaps still find rooms of those names when visiting a stately home. As descriptions they're all perfectly accurate: you go there to sit down (sitting room), to talk (parlour), or to withdraw at the end of a meal (with-drawing room), as well as just to lounge around.

[mallam]

Exactly, jno. Which is why I like the Japanese 'ima'. I explained above how with language change rather than function change that originally meant 'sitting room', but now means 'being room', a room for being in,

Is it perhaps because nobody 'dines' any more that you omit 'dining room'?!

[yogasun]

I am totally mortified at reading this, and in a way wish I hadn't as I always call it the lounge.....eeeeeek!!!!!!

How out of touch are we?! Must check on what my sons call it, don't want them to carry on this incorrect 'naming' of a room.
Sorry everyone!!

[jno]

mallam, my dining room is a semi-detached part of my kitchen and completely separate from the living room. You don't eat in the living room (in theory; in fact jno jnr is often to be found munching takeaways in front of the TV set). I don't know if this is usual, but in general other people's dining rooms that I've seen are closer to the kitchens than to the, um, other room, whatever you call it.