Chalet

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʃæleɪ/

Definitions

1. A small house or cottage, typically in a mountainous region, featuring a sloped roof and often made of wood
2. A type of dwelling usually located in alpine areas that is characterized by a sloping roof and a wooden structure
3. A rustic residence often found in mountain regions, distinguished by its angled roof and timber construction

Etymology: The word has a pastoral origin that has nothing to do with holidays. In the Alpine valleys of the Franco-Provençal-speaking region, a "çhalè" was a herdsman's hut high in the mountains, a shelter for those who tended cattle during the summer grazing season. The word passed into French as "chalet," still with that sense of a rough summer dwelling for herders and their animals. English borrowed the word from French, and over time its meaning drifted from the working hut of a shepherd toward the picturesque wooden house with a steep roof that tourists and holidaymakers now picture. The sloped roof and timber construction associated with the Swiss Alps grew into the image that defines the word today, even though the original huts were humble structures tied to seasonal farming.

Synonyms: cottage, bungalow