# Names for different kinds of residences in your part of the world **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2007, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309 "2007-04-16T09:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/41 "2007-04-17T06:24:53Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Oh, in the UK: - Mobile home = (usually) a motorised vehicle with living space - like a Winnebago, although nearly always smaller - Caravan = a towable living space, usually capable of being moved by a car. - Static Caravan - a fairly large accomodation unit that can be moved (albeit with some fuss and bother, and requiring a heavy vehicle such as a lowloader and possibly a crane). [/QUOTE] I dispute this. I’ve never heard ‘static caravan’ before - I’d just expect to hear ‘caravan’ in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/42 "2007-04-17T06:34:03Z")
Another type of British house (which haven’t been built for a hundred years now) is the [back to back](http://www.leedscivictrust.org.uk/backs.htm) where the back wall of your house was shared with another dwelling. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/43 "2007-04-17T07:10:36Z")
[QUOTE=Rayne Man] Another type of British house (which haven’t been built for a hundred years now) is the [back to back](http://www.leedscivictrust.org.uk/backs.htm) where the back wall of your house was shared with another dwelling. [/QUOTE] This type of dwelling was usually built in the cotton and mill and engineering towns of the UK to house workers. I think they would be in the terraced category. Outside toilets with newspaper hanging on a nail and a pigeon coop. Plus if you were really well off, a ferret and a whippet. Bread and dripping for tea…every day…on Hovis Oh the good old days, my arse ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/44 "2007-04-17T07:19:25Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] This type of dwelling was usually built in the cotton and mill and engineering towns of the UK to house workers. I think they would be in the terraced category. [/QUOTE] True, although there was the now-extinct courtyard layout, too. (Extinct for a preserved one in Birmingham, I think.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/45 "2007-04-17T07:22:31Z")
I’ve always liked the British term “caravan.” It sounds romantic, conjuring up images of Gypsies. (Although my British friends here assure me there is nothing romantic about Gypsies.) ---
**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/46 "2007-04-17T07:35:02Z")
[QUOTE=Noone Special] Urk… reminds me of one I forgot: Penthouse (pronounced as is, no Hebrew term) – both are used to mean “Penthouse” – **top-floor** apartment with a second level, an open-air balcony, occupying the whole floor, or any combination of the above. Duplex - A multi-level apartment that is **_not_ top-floor** will _sometime_ be called a “duplex” (but never a penthouse). A multi-level penthouse may possibly be called a “duplex.” [/QUOTE] AFAIK, duplex is used for two-stories apartments. If they have 3 stories, they’re called “triplex”. There’s also a “Garden-apartment” (Dirat-Gan) that is a ground-level apartment with access to a (usually small) piece of land. One other thing: Cottage may be used for semi-detached and terraced houses. Semi-detached are sometimes called bi-family cottage (Cottage Du-Mishpah’yi). A block of 3 connected houses will be refered to as “tri-family cottege” (Cottage Tlat-Mishpah’ti). More than that may be called (but not always) a “train building”. ETA: Oh, and there is an Hebrew name for Penthouse: Dirat Gag (roof apartment). Although there are some distintions between the two: a penthouse is supposed to be a single-level aparments, while the “roof apartment” may be two or more levels. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/47 "2007-04-17T07:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] I dispute this. I’ve never heard ‘static caravan’ before - I’d just expect to hear ‘caravan’ in this situation. [/QUOTE] > **[Static Caravan UK | Private UK Caravan Holiday Hire](https://www.static-caravan.co.uk/)** > > Private UK static caravans for hire. Rent your caravan or search family caravan holidays on holiday parks across England, Scotland and Wales direct from the owner with no booking fees and zero commission for owners. > **[Static Caravan UK | Private UK Caravan Holiday Hire](https://www.static-caravan.co.uk/)** > > Private UK static caravans for hire. Rent your caravan or search family caravan holidays on holiday parks across England, Scotland and Wales direct from the owner with no booking fees and zero commission for owners. > **[Sambeck Caravans](https://www.sambeckcaravans.co.uk/)** It’s a term in wide use. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/48 "2007-04-17T08:17:48Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] **Nava** , what do you mean by ‘sky station’ in post #5? [/QUOTE] I mean I had a linguistic brainfart and forgot that the translation for _estación de esquí_ is sky resort. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/49 "2007-04-17T08:40:59Z")
I still think you mean ‘ski’. Although a Sky Resort does sound enticing. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/50 "2007-04-17T08:41:15Z")
Another name I have heard just lately is\*\* Park Home\*\*. These seem to be a cross between a wooden chalet and a traditional static caravan and are usually grouped together in estates similar to residential caravan sites. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/51 "2007-04-17T08:56:11Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I still think you mean ‘ski’. Although a Sky Resort does sound enticing. [/QUOTE] Oops. You know, one of my college professors impressed upon us the importance of copy editors by telling us of an article (5 years of work, it was a guy’s PhD thesis) which got rejected by the biggest chemistry journal in the world because a reviewer found “piridine” in three different spots and said “I can’t take seriously someone with this lack of attention to detail” :smack: Let’s just drop that letter from the alphabet or something 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/52 "2007-04-17T09:39:14Z")
Dammit! For ‘sky station’ I was picturing a great big train station floating in the sky, with magical sky trains departing and arriving. I was a bit disappointed when you corrected it to ‘sky resort’, but I figured that floating accommodation is still pretty cool. Then I find out that you were talking about boring old ski resorts all along. :smack: If you don’t mind I think I’ll stay in my little fantasy world where Spaniards live in great big flying houses. It’s a lot more fun than having to face goddamn reality. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/53 "2007-04-17T09:57:03Z")
The only reason we don’t is because Antoni Gaudí never got to met that von Braun feller. A pity, that! ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/54 "2007-04-17T10:40:55Z")
**Flat** - one of a group of dwellings built on top of each other **Unit** - one of a group of dwellings built side-by-side on the same block of land (almost certainly detached form each other) **Terrace House** - house built side-by-side in a row of similar houses with no space between **House** - everything else. (I have seen the term **California Bungalow** used also for a particular style of single-story house, but never outside a real-estate agent’s listing.) Further categorisation, if necessary, is generally done by building material (weatherboard, brick, brick veneer…) or usage (beach house / holiday house) That looks too simple, doesn’t it? There must be more… ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/55 "2007-04-17T11:01:16Z")
What about “Mews” in England? According to Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Mews is chiefly a British term referring to a certain type of stabling with living quarters. The term is both singular (“a mews house”) and plural, and is used primarily in London and in some parts of Canada. In Israel IIRC - “terraces” mean houses built on a hillside, where one house’s terrace is the house below’s roof - as opposed to a row of joined houses as in the UK. Interesting how in Spanish an apartment/flat can be a “piso” (Spain), “apartamento” (most of Latin America) or a “departamento” (Mexico and Argentina). House and home - referring to a house as a “home” is definitely considered tacky or “non-U” in the UK. In Spanish the distinction also exists - casa - house; hogar - home. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/56 "2007-04-17T11:17:32Z")
[QUOTE=Martha] In Spanish the distinction also exists - casa - house; hogar - home. [/QUOTE] Ah, but hogar also means fire-used-for-cooking and you only get “hogar” used to mean “home” instead of “casa” when people are trying to get poetic. A lot of classic Christmas ads changed last season, including one that’s been around for so long it’s both become a popular sentence and disassociated from the brand: Vuelve, a casa vuelve, vuelve a tu hogar, (1) que hoy es Nochebuena y mañana Navidad, vuelve, a casa vuelve, por Navidad. Come back, come back home, come to your home, today is Christmas Eve, tomorrow Christmas, come back, come back home, in time for Christmas. The ads showed people who are often away from home for Christmas (fisher boats, ERs, trains) and someone arriving home unexpectedly just in time for the Christmas Eve dinner. (1) I’ve seen people who understand this as “vuelve al hogar” and “vuelve al lugar”, this last one would be “go back to the place (from whence you came)”. There’s a lot of XIXth century books where people refer to their hometown or farm as “el lugar”. The official version is the one above. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/57 "2007-04-17T12:18:03Z")
In Germany: **Einfamilienhaus** : freestanding single-familiy residence. Like House (Detached) in the OP. **Bungalow** : a single-level, usually flat-roofed, **Einfamilienhaus**. **Doppelhaushälfte** (DHH): half of a double house ( **Doppelhaus** ), the halves sharing a party wall. Like House (Semi-Detached) in the OP. **Reihenhaus** : one house in a terrace - like House (Terraced) in the OP. **Reihenendhaus** : like **Reihenhaus** , only it’s the first or last house in the terrace. **Villa** : an **Einfamilienhaus** , but more spacious/luxurious/well-appointed. **Wohnung** any apartment/flat, usually in a multi-apartment building. **Mietwohnung** if rented, **Eigentumswohnung** if owned. **Apartment** : a **Wohnung** ; a marketing term connoting a higer level of comfort. **Maisonettewohnung** : a two-level **Wohnung**. **Studiowohnung** / **Studioapartment** : **Wohnung** with a large window front. **Dachgeschoßwohnung** : **Wohnung** under the roof. **1-Zimmer-Wohnung, 2-Zimmer-Wohnung, 3-Zimmer-Wohnung** etc.: a flat/apartment with the stated number of rooms not counting kitchen, corridor, bathroom, toilet etc.: e.g. a **3-Zimmer-Wohnung** could consist of living room, parents’ bedroom, childrens’ room (the three counted rooms), plus kitchen, bathroom, toilet and corridor. **Zimmer** : a single room, furnished (möbliert) or unfurnished (unmöbliert), usually with use of shared bathroom/toilet. **Wohngemeinschaftszimmer** : room in a (usually largish) apartment rented together with flatmates. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309/58 "2007-04-17T12:31:46Z")
Legal family designations in the state of New Jersey: One-family house: Single family occupancy. OK to rent out up to two rooms. Rooming house: Legal to rent rooms. Must have city and state licensing. Two-family house: Only can hold two families. No room renting. Three-family and Four-Family Houses–Only can hold three or four familes. No room renting. Five+ houses: Considered commercial property. Have to have state and city licensing. No room rentals. Commercial property–Anything that has commercial space. Commercial space can be rented out. Apartments above commercial space can also be rented out. No rooms. Co-op: Apartment where the resident owns shares in the building’s corporation. You can do anything the corporation says you can do, but that is usually not much and within legal guidelines. Condo/Townhouse–Resident owns the apartment or free standing structure in a development. Renting the unit is fine, renting rooms is out. The largest problem we have is with people and illegal room rentals. Basment renting is totally illegal in the state, but people do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-for-different-kinds-of-residences-in-your-part-of-the-world/400309.md?page=2)