Whats the difference between a flat and an apartment?

[GLASGOWOODS]

Might it be your own browser history? Or someone else's connected to your network?

 

Here's the link in long-hand:

 

http://p0.storage.canalblog.com/05/98/58458/89658318_p.jpg

 

It's the holiday parks Wi-Fi.

 

It states the content (holiday swimwear apparel) unfit for viewing.

 

Oh well! Will look tomorro when I get home.

[Autumn1]

An apartment is usually on the coast a flat is inland

[Jim Hardie]

Yeah but council tenants couldn't spell maisonette, so they changed it to flat which is less difficult.

I think they're pushing for a change to make the official term pad, to make it easier still.

 

You could be on to something there. The NHS have the same mindset.

[Mr Clowning]

I have never had an apartment tyre.

[watchcoll]

I thought the americans called theirs "condos"?

I used to live in one of these new built city centre complexes. Mine was always a flat. My friend a few doors' down was in an apartment. The only thing different was the colour of the paint on the walls!

[Anna B]

What is a duplex? Keep seeing this in property ads, no idea what it means.

[Mr Clowning]

What is a duplex? Keep seeing this in property ads, no idea what it means.

 

Do you mean Duplo ?

 

I once build a house with those.

[skinz]

I always thought it derived from the French word, not realising that the French word likely derived from the Italian word. Makes sense when you think of all those Italians and their influence of the time moving up and outwards from Rome.

 

Seems the Brits are taking it back, but only if you have one in Belgravia or some such. Likely a tightening of the Sphincter thing.

 

---------- Post added 07-03-2014 at 06:35 ----------

 

What is a duplex? Keep seeing this in property ads, no idea what it means.

 

 

"A Duplex apartment is a dwelling that has apartment with different entrance for two families. In densely populated area, duplex apartment refers to a maisonette, bungalow and single dwelling unit that are connected by an indoor staircase".

[L00b]

What is a duplex? Keep seeing this in property ads, no idea what it means.

A duplex is an alternative name for a flat on 2 floors, typically with an internal staircase, typically still with "living quarters" (kitchen, lounge, dining room) downstairs and "sleeping quarters" (bedroom(s), bathroom) upstairs.

 

On the same logic, a triplex is a flat on 3 floors.

 

I always thought it derived from the French word, not realising that the French word likely derived from the Italian word.

Without delving into the etymology of the word, French people have always used "appartement" for a flat ("flat" does not exist at all as a word), regardless of whether single-floored, duplex or triplex.

 

'-ette' in the French language routinely denotes a smaller variant of the thing, the name of which it terminates.

 

A "maisonnette" is a small detached or semi-detached house ("maison" = house, "maisonette" = small house). It's never been used to designate anything even remotely like a flat.

 

Under the same logic, a "camionette" is a van i.e. a small truck ("camion" = truck/lorry, "camionette" = van).

 

Just don't ask me about reasons for the varying genders though...they just 'are', and that's that.

[Anna B]

Thankyou both. That clears that up.