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bunkhouse
DCHP-2 (May 2010)
Spelling variants:bunk-house
1n. — Housing
a building providing basic communal sleeping quarters for workers.
Type: 2. Preservation — Bunkhouses were often provided for workers in remote areas, for example, railway workers, miners and loggers. The term also refers to dormitories at summer camps and resorts. Bunkhouse is most likely a preservation from British English, brought over by the early settlers to North America. The origin of the term is unknown; however, the OED dates the term back to 1877. In Canada, the term is found in each province, with a little more currency in New Brunswick and British Columbia (see Chart 1).
See also Gage-1, s.v. "bunkhouse", ITP Nelson, s.v. "bunkhouse".
See also Gage-1, s.v. "bunkhouse", ITP Nelson, s.v. "bunkhouse".
Quotations
1892
That evening, after supper, he had to drive to town, and did not return until late. All the men had gone to bed in the bunk-house, a quarter of a mile away, and as he drove up to the barn, apparently not a soul was stirring.
1900
When an old bunkhouse at the Athabasca mine was destroyed by fire a few weeks ago, a miner named Arnt Olsen lost $800 worth of postal notes which were stowed away among his belongings.
1909
They fired through the windows, and were preparing to storm the house when Chief Dodds, backed by Sergt. Taylor and the constables of the city force, prevailed on the strikers to stay away from the house. All the windows in the bunk-house and all of the C.P.R. yard buildings were smashed by bullets.
1939
Five buildings have already shot up, including administration buildings, a dining hall, and cookhouse and the first bunkhouse to house the several hundred men to whom this project will give work.
1952
Oldest player on either team was Gordon Farlow, of Milton, whose age is in the neighbourhood of 56. Gordon played in Acton as long ago as 1919 on the open air rink situated where the Beardmore bunkhouse is now.
1963
While toiling manfully on the rigging by day, nonetheless his fertile brain craved employment in the dreary evenings in the bunkhouse.
1975
There is a baseball field beside the bunkhouse, in Fort Norman ….
2n. — Housing, Outdoors
a separate building with sleeping quarters for guests at a summer house, camp or resort.
This meaning is equivalent to bunkie, which is an Ontario term.
See also COD-2 s.v. "bunkhouse", which is marked "Cdn = BUNKIE".
See also COD-2 s.v. "bunkhouse", which is marked "Cdn = BUNKIE".
See: bunkie
Quotations
1989
Vered Hagalil describes itself as a quiet, small and intimate place with 15 guest cottages, a two-room bunkhouse that sleeps 12, tennis courts, a lounge, gardens and swimming pool in lush, blooming surroundings.
1997
This cottage has a sleeper cabin (square!) right in back, and another tinier bunkhouse down by the water, where you can fall asleep to the sound of waves on the rocks.
1999
By keeping the original cottage, they now have a four-bedroom bunkhouse for visiting children and their friends.
2000
Up to eight guests can sleep in a private bunkhouse and the main lodge which has an intimate dining room with large windows overlooking the lake.
2013
The tour coincided with a meeting of the Tim Horton Children's Foundation board to approve the funds for construction of the camp's first buildings. Concrete foundations are to be built this fall with construction to continue into next year.
The camp will include three bunkhouses to sleep 40 people each, a dining hall for 200 people, a wellness centre and 22 yurts to be used in summer months.
References
- OED-3
- Gage-1
- ITP Nelson
- COD-2
Images
Image 1: Bunkhouse. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: D. Robertson
