doula

See also: dóula

English

WOTD – 28 July 2012

Etymology

Borrowed from Greek δούλα (doúla, “servant-woman”), from Ancient Greek δούλη (doúlē, “female slave”). Popularized by American anthropologist Dana Raphael in the 1973 book The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding, where the word is credited to Eleni Rassias.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈduːlə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -uːlə

Noun

doula (plural doulas)

1. A trained support person who provides emotional, physical and practical assistance to a pregnant woman or couple before, during or after childbirth.

   Coordinate terms: midwife, nurse

   • 1973, Dana Raphael, The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, →ISBN, page 24:

     The function of the doula varies in different cultures from a little help here and there to complete succoring, including bathing, cooking, carrying, and feeding. Whatever the doula does, however, is less important than the fact that she is there.

   • 2020 June 5, Alyson Krueger, “The Agonizing Question: Is New York City Worth It Anymore?”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Rebekah Rosler, a therapist and doula, decided to leave, even though her family history in New York goes back to the 1870s, she said.

2. A trained person who provides similar support to someone who is diagnosed with an incurable condition and is receiving end-of-life care.

Translations

person assisting a pregnant mother before, during or after childbirth

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: տատմեր (hy) (tatmer)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臨產特護 / 临产特护 (línchǎn tèhù), 臨產伴娘 / 临产伴娘 (línchǎn bànniáng)

• Czech: dula (cs) f
• Faroese: nærkona f
• Finnish: doula (fi)
• French: doula (fr) f
• German: Doula f
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: dúla (hu)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Malay: pembantu bidan
• Portuguese: doula (pt) f
• Russian: до́ула (ru) f (dóula)
• Spanish: doula f
• Sundanese: paraji (su)
• Ukrainian: доула f (doula)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

person assisting someone receiving end-of-life care

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臨終關懷護理師 / 临终关怀护理师 (línzhōng guānhuái hùlǐshī)

• Finnish: saattohoitaja
• French: doula (fr) f

Further reading

• doula on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• aloud

Finnish

Etymology

From Greek δούλα (doúla).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdou̯lɑ/, [ˈdo̞u̯lɑ̝]
• IPA^(key): /ˈdulɑ/, [ˈdulɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -oulɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): dou‧la

Noun

doula

1. doula (woman who advises, accompanies and provides non-clinical assistance (physical, emotional, etc.) to pregnant women, before, during and after childbirth)

Declension

Inflection of doula (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		doula	doulat
genitive		doulan	doulien
partitive		doulaa	doulia
illative		doulaan	douliin
		singular	plural
nominative		doula	doulat
accusative	nom.	doula	doulat
	gen.	doulan
genitive		doulan	doulien doulain rare
partitive		doulaa	doulia
inessive		doulassa	doulissa
elative		doulasta	doulista
illative		doulaan	douliin
adessive		doulalla	doulilla
ablative		doulalta	doulilta
allative		doulalle	doulille
essive		doulana	doulina
translative		doulaksi	douliksi
abessive		doulatta	doulitta
instructive		—	doulin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of doula (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative doulani doulani accusative nom. doulani doulani gen. doulani genitive doulani doulieni doulaini rare partitive doulaani douliani inessive doulassani doulissani elative doulastani doulistani illative doulaani douliini adessive doulallani doulillani ablative doulaltani douliltani allative doulalleni doulilleni essive doulanani doulinani translative doulakseni doulikseni abessive doulattani doulittani instructive — — comitative — doulineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative doulasi doulasi accusative nom. doulasi doulasi gen. doulasi genitive doulasi douliesi doulaisi rare partitive doulaasi douliasi inessive doulassasi doulissasi elative doulastasi doulistasi illative doulaasi douliisi adessive doulallasi doulillasi ablative doulaltasi douliltasi allative doulallesi doulillesi essive doulanasi doulinasi translative doulaksesi douliksesi abessive doulattasi doulittasi instructive — — comitative — doulinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative doulamme doulamme accusative nom. doulamme doulamme gen. doulamme genitive doulamme douliemme doulaimme rare partitive doulaamme douliamme inessive doulassamme doulissamme elative doulastamme doulistamme illative doulaamme douliimme adessive doulallamme doulillamme ablative doulaltamme douliltamme allative doulallemme doulillemme essive doulanamme doulinamme translative doulaksemme douliksemme abessive doulattamme doulittamme instructive — — comitative — doulinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative doulanne doulanne accusative nom. doulanne doulanne gen. doulanne genitive doulanne doulienne doulainne rare partitive doulaanne doulianne inessive doulassanne doulissanne elative doulastanne doulistanne illative doulaanne douliinne adessive doulallanne doulillanne ablative doulaltanne douliltanne allative doulallenne doulillenne essive doulananne doulinanne translative doulaksenne douliksenne abessive doulattanne doulittanne instructive — — comitative — doulinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative doulansa doulansa accusative nom. doulansa doulansa gen. doulansa genitive doulansa douliensa doulainsa rare partitive doulaansa douliaan douliansa inessive doulassaan doulassansa doulissaan doulissansa elative doulastaan doulastansa doulistaan doulistansa illative doulaansa douliinsa adessive doulallaan doulallansa doulillaan doulillansa ablative doulaltaan doulaltansa douliltaan douliltansa allative doulalleen doulallensa doulilleen doulillensa essive doulanaan doulanansa doulinaan doulinansa translative doulakseen doulaksensa doulikseen douliksensa abessive doulattaan doulattansa doulittaan doulittansa instructive — — comitative — doulineen doulinensa

Synonyms

• synnytystukihenkilö

Further reading

• “doula”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• luoda

Lindu

Noun

doula

1. floor

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from English doula, from Greek δούλα (doúla, “servant-woman”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdo(w).lɐ/ [ˈdo(ʊ̯).lɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdo(w).lɐ/ [ˈdo(ʊ̯).lɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈdo(w).la/ [ˈdo(ʊ̯).la]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdo(w).lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdo(w).lɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdow.lɐ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈdo.lɐ/

• Rhymes: -olɐ, -owlɐ
• Hyphenation: dou‧la

Noun

doula f (plural doulas)

1. doula (woman who advises, accompanies and provides non-clinical assistance (physical, emotional, etc.) to pregnant women, before, during and after childbirth)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English doula, from Greek δούλα (doúla, “servant-woman”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdula/ [ˈd̪u.la]
• Rhymes: -ula

Noun

doula f (plural doulas)

1. doula (woman who advises, accompanies and provides non-clinical assistance (physical, emotional, etc.) to pregnant women, before, during and after childbirth)

Further reading

• “doula”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10