Today in rich countries we take toilets for granted yet in poor countries millions of people do not have hygienic toilets.Our word toilet is derived from the French word toilette, which means little cloth. In the 17th century it was a cloth cover for a dressing table, called a toilet table.If a woman was at her toilet it meant she was dressing and preparing her appearance. By the 19th century toilet room or toilet was a euphemism for a certain room.Our word lavatory comes from the Latin lavare meaning to wash.In the 17th century a lavatory was a place for washing.Later it became a euphemism for a certain room.
