Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2022 March 29

= March 29 =

Ghetto homes made using junk materials
How do we describe the ghetto homes built with junk yard materials? -- Toytoy (talk) 12:37, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Hovel, Shack and Shanty are some words used for such dwellings: there are doubtless others. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.209.233.48 (talk) 12:48, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * In the United States, they're associated more with remote rural poverty than urban "ghettos", but many 3rd-world cities are surrounded by belts of shantytowns (see article Shanty town)... AnonMoos (talk) 12:53, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * See also Hooverville. Alansplodge (talk) 13:03, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Not directly related, but for a building constructed in this way as part of a university project, see Waste House. Some of the links in there may be relevant.  Hassocks 5489 (Floreat Hova!)  13:07, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * This might need a reference, but I think that in South Africa, the government tried to build away the shanty towns with relatively cheaply mass produced small houses. But even then, it was fairly common that families added junkyard shack addons to their houses to get some extra space. Well, that could be a digression, and also unreferenced. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 13:54, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * The term unique for South Africa referring to racially segregated shanty towns is Township (South Africa), an interesting term d'art considering that in the rest of the world, that's usually a benign land division term. The article specifically deals with the "backyard shack" issue noted by Wakuran above.  -- Jayron 32 17:40, 29 March 2022 (UTC)


 * I do not believe hovel or shack would be the word the OP is searching for. They are surely crudely built dwellings, but are not normally built with junk yard materials. --Bumptump (talk) 21:58, 29 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I agree that shanty is the right word. shanty has A rudimentary or improvised dwelling, especially one not legally owned, and the specific idea of an improvised dwelling is absent from shack and hovel. Card Zero  (talk) 23:15, 29 March 2022 (UTC)


 * We (South Africans) call them shacks 41.165.67.114 (talk) 10:47, 30 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Other terms include Bidonville (originally in North Africa, but now in common usage in French) and Gecekondu (literally "overnight building", used in Turkey). I'm sure there are plenty more, adapted to different local realities. Xuxl (talk) 13:34, 30 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Note that bidonville refers to the whole shantytown, while gecekondu refers to a single dwelling unit. --Lambiam 23:11, 30 March 2022 (UTC)