spital

See also: Spital, špital, and špitál

English

Alternative forms

• spittle

Etymology

From Middle English spitel, an aphetic form, from Medieval Latin hospitāle.

Noun

spital (plural spitals)

1. (historical) A charitable house to receive and care for sick people, later distinguished from a hospital as being especially for those of a low class or meagre financial means.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 1, member 3:

     Put up a supplication to him in the name of a thousand orphans, an hospital, a spital, a prison, as he goes by, they cry out to him for aid, ride on, surdo narras, he cares not […]

See also

• hospital

Anagrams

• Pilats, atslip, pastil, plaits, silpat

Middle High German

Alternative forms

• hospitāl

Etymology

Derived from Old High German hospitalhūs, from Late Latin hospitāle + Old High German hūs.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (before 13^th CE) /ˈs̠pitaːl/

Noun

spitāl m or n

1. hospital

Declension

Declension of spitāl (masculine, class 1 strong)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	dër	spitāl	die	spitāl, spitāle
genitive	eines	dës	spitāls, spitāles	dër	spitāl, spitāle
dative	eime	dëm	spitāl, spitāle	dën	spitāln, spitālen
accusative	einen	dën	spitāl	die	spitāl, spitāle

Declension of spitāl (neuter, class 1 strong)

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	daȥ	spitāl	diu	spitāl
genitive	eines	dës	spitāls, spitāles	dër	spitāl, spitāle
dative	eime	dëm	spitāl, spitāle	dën	spitāln, spitālen
accusative	ein	daȥ	spitāl	diu	spitāl

Descendants

• Central Franconian: Spidol
  • Hunsrik: Spitaal
  • Luxembourgish: Spidol
• German: Spital, Hospital (literary; dated)
  • → Polish: szpital, śpital (Middle Polish)
    • → Belarusian: шпіта́ль (špitálʹ)
    • → Kashubian: szpëtôl (through Middle Polish)
    • → Ukrainian: шпиталь (špytalʹ)
  • → Romanian: spital, șpital — regional, Transylvania, ospital
  • → Yiddish: שפּיטאָל (shpitol)

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “spital”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
• "spitāl" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

Romanian

Spital

Alternative forms

• șpital — regional, Transylvania
• ospital

Etymology

Borrowed from German Spital (especially the variant form șpital), ultimately from Latin hospitalis. Alternatively from Italian ospitale (in particular the form ospital), through the intermediate of Greek σπιτάλι (spitáli). Doublet of hotel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [spiˈtal]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

spital n (plural spitale or spitaluri)

1. hospital

   Synonyms: bolniță, ospital

Declension

Declension of spital

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	spital	spitalul		spitale	spitalele
genitive-dative	spital	spitalului		spitale	spitalelor
vocative	spitalule			spitalelor