humanitarian field hospital
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GC: n

S: Reuters – https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-field-hospital-established-gaza-israeli-military-says-2024-05-11/ (last access: 12 May 2024); MSF – https://www.msf.org/how-we-work (last access: 12 May 2024).

N: 1. – humanitarian (adj): As a noun by 1794 in the theological sense “one who affirms the humanity of Christ but denies his pre-existence and divinity,” from humanity + suffix from unitarian, etc.; see humanism. Meaning “philanthropist, one who advocates or practices human action to solve social problems” is from 1842, originally disparaging, with a suggestion of excess.
As an adjective by 1834 in the theological sense “affirming the humanity or human nature of Christ;” by 1855 as “having regard for the broad interests of humanity.”

– field (n): Old English feld “plain, pasture, open land, cultivated land” (as opposed to woodland), also “a parcel of land marked off and used for pasture or tillage,” probably related to Old English folde “earth, land,” from Proto-Germanic *felthan “flat land” (Cognates: Old Saxon and Old Frisian feldfield,” Old Saxon folda “earth,” Middle Dutch velt, Dutch veld Old High German felt, German Feld “field,” but not found originally outside West Germanic; Swedish fält, Danish felt are borrowed from German; Finnish pelto “field” is believed to have been adapted from Proto-Germanic). This is from PIE *pel(e)-tu-, from root *pele- (2) “flat; to spread.” The English spelling with -ie- probably is the work of Anglo-French scribes (compare brief, piece).

– hospital (n): mid-13c., “shelter for the needy,” from Old French hospital, ospital “hostel, shelter, lodging” (Modern French hôpital), from Late Latin hospitale “guest-house, inn,” noun use of neuter of Latin adjective hospitalis “of a guest or host” (as a noun, “a guest; the duties of hospitality”), from hospes (genitive hospitis) “guest; host;” see “host” (n.1).

The sense of “charitable institution to house and maintain the needy” in English is from early 15c.; the meaning “institution for sick or wounded people” is recorded by 1540s. The same word, contracted, is “hostel” and “hotel”. The sense shift in Latin from duties to buildings might have been via the common term cubiculum hospitalis “guest-chamber.” The Latin adjective use continued in Old French, where ospital also could mean “hospitable” and ospitalite could mean “hospital.”

  • More often used as “field hospital”.

2. Medical and Hospital Organization; Emergency Management; Protection of Life:

– field hospital: A designated station set up as a temporary hospital to provide medical care, initial surgical treatment and hospitalization of victims injured as a result of an incident or a disaster.

3. humanitarian field hospital (EN) = hôpital de campagne à vocation humanitaire (FR) = hospital de campaña humanitario (ES).

S: 1. Etymonline – https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=humanitarian+field+hospital (last access: 12 May 2024); Reuters – https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/new-field-hospital-established-gaza-israeli-military-says-2024-05-11/ (last access: 12 May 2024); MSF – https://www.msf.org/how-we-work (last access: 12 May 2024); GDT – https://vitrinelinguistique.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/fiche-gdt/fiche/8353604/hopital-mobile (last access: 12 May 2024); FCB. 2. TERMIUM PLUS – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=field+hospital&index=alt&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs (last access: 12 May 2024). 3. UNTERM – https://unterm.un.org/unterm2/en/view/76add6da-8217-4a03-85eb-503f9a1103c3 (last access: 12 May 2024).

SYN: mobile hospital, campaign hospital, field hospital. (depending on context)

S: GDT – https://vitrinelinguistique.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/fiche-gdt/fiche/8353604/hopital-mobile (last access: 12 May 2024)

CR: hospital, humanitarian, humanitarian logistics.