Definition
A person whose job is to take care of a building by cleaning it and doing basic repairs. Janitors often work in schools, offices, and apartment buildings.
Etymology
From Latin “ianitor,” meaning “doorkeeper” or “porter,” from “ianua,” meaning “door.” In early English, “janitor” meant a caretaker or doorkeeper, and the role gradually focused more on cleaning and maintenance. The “j” sound in English reflects how Latin “i” before a vowel often shifted in later languages.
Kelly Says
The original janitor was literally the person at the door—like a human lock and key. Over time, the job expanded from guarding the entrance to caring for the whole building. The word still carries that sense of quiet guardianship, even when we mostly think of mops and trash bags.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
መስክለኛ
mes-ke-le-nya
ARالعربية
عامل نظافة
aa-mal nazafa
CACatalà
treballador de neteja
tre-ba-la-dor de ne-te-ja
CSČeština
čistící
chist-i-chi
DADansk
rengøringsmand
ren-goer-ings-mand
DEDeutsch
Hausmeister
haws-mays-ter
ELΕλληνικά
υπάλληλος καθαριότητας
ee-pal-lelos ka-tha-ri-o-ta-tas
ESEspañol
el conserje
el kon-ser-heh
FAفارسی
کارگر نظافت
kar-gar na-za-fat
FISuomi
siivooja
siivoo-ya
FRFrançais
le concierge
luh koh-n-syahrj
GUGU
સફાઈકર્મી
sa-fai-kar-mee
HAHA
ma'aikata
ma-ai-ka-ta
HIहिन्दी
स्वच्छता कर्मी
swachchhata karmee
IDBahasa Indonesia
penjaga kebersihan
penja-ga ke-ber-sihan
IGIG
onye na-achọta
o-nye na-a-cho-ta
ITItaliano
portiere
por-tee-eh-reh
KMKM
កម្មករបររក
kam-mok-kor ba-ro-rok
MRMR
स्वच्छता कर्मी
swachchhata karmee
MSBahasa Melayu
penjaga kebersihan
pen-ja-ga ke-ber-sihan
MYမြန်မာ
ကျောက်စောင့်
kya-ouk-saung
NLNederlands
schoonmaker
schoon-ma-ker
NONorsk
rengjører
reng-yoh-rer
PAPA
ਸਫਾਈwala
sa-fai-wa-la
PLPolski
strażnik
shtranz-nik
PTPortuguês
porteiro
por-tay-roh
RORomână
curător
cu-ra-tor
RUРусский
вахтёр
vaht-yer
SVSvenska
städare
stah-dare
SWKiswahili
mtumishi wa usafi
m-tu-mi-shi wa u-sa-fi
TAதமிழ்
சுத்தப்படுத்தும்
suth-tha-pa-ththu-um
TEతెలుగు
సీమకర్త
see-ma-kar-ta
THไทย
คนงานทำความสะอาด
kon ngan tham kwan sa-at
TLTL
tagapagsa
ta-ga-pa-g-sa
TRTürkçe
temizlik görevlisi
teh-meez-lik goh-rev-lee-see
UKУкраїнська
вахтер
va-kht-er
VITiếng Việt
người dọn dẹp
ngooy don dep
YOYO
ọmọ-ọlọ́gbọ́
o-mo-o-lo-g-bo
ZUZU
umshayeli
oom-sha-ye-li
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
'Janitor' has been stereotypically coded male in many contexts, while similar cleaning and caretaking work done by women has been labeled differently and often devalued. This reflects both gender and class biases around maintenance and cleaning labor.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'janitor' or 'custodian' without assuming gender, and avoid jokes that belittle the role. Recognize cleaning and maintenance work as skilled and essential.
Inclusive Alternatives
["custodian","cleaning staff","maintenance staff"]
Empowerment Note
Women have long performed institutional cleaning and caretaking work, often under less prestigious titles and with lower pay; naming these roles accurately helps recognize their importance.