For the last several years, I have struggled with ‘nerve-like’ symptoms in my right leg. In fact, given how long I’ve dealt with the symptoms, I’d say they are UN-nerving!
Multiple physicians, tests, drugs and invasive injections…and still no relief. The other day, I thought about how “patient” I have had to become as month after month passes still waiting for the next idea to relieve the symptoms. Then, right after I thought, “Why ARE we called patients?” Is it because someone long ago misspelled patience?
A quick Google search found the answer. With apologies to my high school Latin teacher, Mrs. Layton, the answer—as well as with other words—was from Latin.
This month’s issue of The Flame is dedicated to the etymology (the history of words) of some familiar healthcare words. Not sure how much it will help at your next cocktail party, but I do hope you enjoy.
— Betty Long, RN, MHA, President/CEO, Guardian Nurses Health Advocates
Ever Wonder Why They’re Called Patients?
Patients
We call them “patients” because the word comes from the Latin patiens, which means “suffering” or “enduring.” It’s related to the verb patior, meaning “to suffer or endure.” So originally, a patient was someone who suffers an illness or injury and is bearing it—hopefully not just bearing it in a waiting room for 45 minutes with outdated magazines.
What’s ironic is that while patients are supposed to be enduring something, in today’s healthcare system they’re also required to be patient in the sense of waiting… a lot. It’s like a built-in pun that no one asked for or isn’t funny.
Doctors
We call them doctors because the word comes from the Latin docere, which means “to teach.” Surprise! The word doctor originally meant “teacher,” not “person who can identify your rash in 0.3 seconds.”
The title was first used in the Middle Ages by scholars in universities—so the original doctors were doctors of philosophy, theology, and law. Medical doctors adopted the title later, as medicine evolved into an academic discipline.
So, at its root, a doctor is someone who imparts knowledge. And when they’re doing it right, a doctor isn’t just treating symptoms—they’re educating, guiding, and partnering with their patients
Hospitals
This comes from the Latin word hospes, meaning both guest and host. Back in the day, hospitals were run by religious orders offering hospitality—not to mention prayers and maybe a leech or two.
Now, we’ve come full circle: with the rise of hotel-like patient experiences and concierge medicine, maybe we’re just rebranding the original “hospes” model—with better robes.
Surgery
The word originates from several languages: Middle English surgerie, from Old French cirurgie, which in turn comes from Latin chirurgia, from Greek kheirourgia—a combo of kheir (hand) and ergon (work). Literally, surgery means “hand work.”
Before scalpels and sterile gloves, surgery was just… a craft. Medieval barbers were actually the go-to for minor surgeries—because if you can wield a razor, why not drain an abscess? These “barber-surgeons” were snipping hair and hernias. A two-for-one deal, though probably not covered by your health insurance.
Nurse
Before Florence Nightingale founded formal training programs for nursing in the 19th century, the word ‘nurse’ originated from the Old French nourice and from Late Latin nutricia, meaning “wet nurse” or “one who nourishes,” from nutrire—“to suckle, nourish, feed.”
Originally, a nurse was someone (typically a woman) who breastfed and cared for infants. The term eventually broadened to include general caregivers—especially those who tended to the sick, injured, and emotionally wrecked. But at its heart, it still means to nurture, to sustain, to heal. Whether with medicine, comfort, or just showing up at 3 a.m. with warm blankets and unshakable calm.
Hospice
The word hospice comes from the Latin hospitium, meaning “guesthouse” or “hospitality.” That, in turn, comes from hospes—which meant both host and guest. Back in the Middle Ages, hospices were places run by religious orders, usually along pilgrimage routes. Travelers—especially the sick, the poor, and the weary—could stop in for rest, food, and comfort. These weren’t just inns; they were sacred spaces of refuge.
Fast forward a few centuries, and hospice came to refer specifically to places for end-of-life care—still focused on rest, dignity, and comfort, but now for life’s final journey instead of a long road trip through medieval France.
Muscle
The word muscle comes from the Latin word musculus, which translates to “little mouse.” Apparently people thought that the movement and shape of many muscles looked like mice running underneath our skin! Things they don’t teach you in nursing school!!