All familiar WC letters on the toilet door do not raise any questions. This inscription denotes data institutions around the world. Still, it is interesting to know what this abbreviation means, how is the WC decrypted? This is what will be discussed in the article.
How is WC decrypted from English?
WC from English translates as water-closet, which literally means “water, plumbing” - water, “cabinet, private room” - closet. As you can see, the lexical translation of this phrase into Russian will mean something like “a water cabinet”, well, or “closed water”. And if we go to the meaning of the phrase, it will mean "a closed room with a water supply (drain)." This is how WC stands for English.
Dictionaries of foreign words in Russian give such a definition to the combination of water-closet: a toilet with a plumbing device for flushing. That is, it is mandatory in such a room to have water supply and the ability to wash hands. For this reason, an ordinary country toilet cannot be called a “water closet”.
Now it becomes clear how WC decrypts.
Other options
Knowing how WC decrypts on toilets, it is worth noting that the abbreviation WC is found mainly in European countries, where English is accepted as the official language of communication.
The institution we describe in other languages and countries is called differently. For example, in the USA - “rest room” or “lease room” (“women's room”).
Also, the restroom can be indicated by the English letters M (men - man), W (women - woman).
In Russia, the toilet is called a toilet, restroom, public place, latrine. By the way, the word "toilet" is not Russian, it comes from the French verb sortir, which translates as "exit." History reports that the toilet became a toilet in Russia after the Frenchmen who were in the country said: Je dois sortir (“I need to get out”).
Interestingly, there is also the name "powder-closet." Such a toilet is so named because the waste is treated with powder - peat or ash. Because the feces are sprinkled, “powdered”, the institution got its name.
Toilets in private homes are called “backlash closets” due to the presence of a cesspool and forced ventilation.
