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"nurse" in seven languages

Meaningnurse

Spanish

enfermero

/enfeɾˈmeɾo/

masc.inherited

Feminine enfermera.

French

infirmier

/ɛ̃fiʁmje/

masc.learned

Feminine infirmière.

Italian

infermiere

/inferˈmjɛre/

masc.inherited

Feminine infermiera.

Portuguese

enfermeiro

/ẽfehˈmejɾu/

masc.inherited

Romanian

asistentă

/asisˈtentə/

fem.other source · French assistante (Latin ASSISTERE 'to stand by')

Masculine asistent; infirmieră (← French infirmière) also exists but is less used.

Catalan

infermer

/imfərˈme/

masc.learned

English

nurse

/nɝs/

other source · Old French norrice (Latin NŪTRĪCEM)

English → ItaliannurseinfermiereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: infirm, infirmary.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

INFIRMUM‘not firm, weak’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

The nurse is named after the patient: INFIRMUS 'unsteady' gave Spanish enfermo and Italian infermo 'sick', and their carers enfermero, infermiere. French keeps the learned i (infirme, infirmier).

English relatives: infirm, infirmary

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In a sentence

  • esLa enfermera me toma la temperatura.
  • frL'infirmière prend ma température.
  • itL'infermiera mi misura la febbre.
  • ptA enfermeira mede a minha temperatura.
  • roAsistenta îmi ia temperatura.
  • caLa infermera em pren la temperatura.
  • enThe nurse takes my temperature.

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