• Mr Fish@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    Krankenwagen = sick car = ambulance

    Krankenhaus = sick house = hospital

    German (as well as most of the germanic family) does word construction really well.

    • 0ops@piefed.zip
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      9 hours ago

      Help I’m kranken, someone call a krankenwagon to take me to the krankenhaus before I krank again

      • Deestan@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        Entschuldigung, but the Krankenwagen is krank and must be taken to the Wagenkrankenhaus in the Krankerwagenkrankenwagen.

        We will send the Krankenpfleger Klaus and his Krankenschwester Klara to pick you up in a Rollstuhl.

    • uniquethrowagay@feddit.org
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      7 hours ago

      The “en” part puts “krank” in genitive though, so “car of the sick” or “sick’s car” would be a more accurate translation. The car is not sick after all.

      • Björn@swg-empire.de
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        6 hours ago

        Germany has Hospital as well. But it sounds archaic.

        If I recall correctly hospitals were just the only “hotels” sick people could afford. So that’s where nuns would go to care for them. So more sick people would come because they would get good care there. Until they made the hospitals the official house where they care for sick people.

        • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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          6 hours ago

          While that may be an element it also comes from the Knights Hospitallers who would set up rest stops for pilgrims. The thing is pilgrims would often get sick and have to be taken care of by the Hospitallers, which also blends into what you’re talking about.

      • Hofmaimaier@feddit.orgOP
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        10 hours ago

        Kranke Bewegung, but we don’t say it in that context, not even for Parkinson patients who literally got sick moves.