'summerhouse' originates from the combination of 'summer' and 'house', where 'summer' refers to the warmest season of the year and 'house' refers to a building for human habitation.

'summerhouse' has been used in English since the 16th century to describe a place of retreat during the summer months.

Initially, it meant a place to enjoy the summer, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.