parlours

Parlour, spelled parlour in British English (the American variant is parlor), is a room in a private house traditionally used to receive guests and conduct social visits. The term can also refer to a shop or public space designated for customer service, such as an ice-cream parlour or a funeral parlour.

Origins lie in the Old French parloir, meaning a place for speaking. In medieval and early modern houses, the parlour was a formal reception room separate from the great hall. It was typically furnished to display hospitality and the household’s status, with comfortable seating, a fireplace, and sometimes musical instruments or tea-service. Access was usually more restricted than to the hall, underscoring its role as a private or semi-public space for visitors.

Over time, many homes adopted the drawing room or living room as the principal entertaining space, and the traditional parlour could become a secondary or seldom-used room. Nevertheless, the term persists in certain contexts and regional usage, especially in formal or ceremonial settings or in phrases such as “parlour games” or “parlour music.”

In commercial and professional contexts, parlour appears in names and descriptions of places meant to receive customers, notably “ice-cream parlour” and “funeral parlour” in many Commonwealth countries. In American English, the spelling parlor is common in some phrases, though the British spelling parlour remains widespread in other contexts. The concept remains tied to a room or space dedicated to hospitality, conversation, and reception.