lǣċehūs
neuter
The Old English word for hospital is lǣċehūs.
The term refers to a large medical facility.
Meaning: large medical facility (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound consisting of lǣce, meaning leech or physician and hūs, meaning house, literally translating to "leech-house".
How does it change in a sentence?
lǣċehūs is a neuter noun. In the nominative singular, it takes the neuter article þæt. Like hūs, its plural stays the same: lǣċehūs.
Did you know?
- While lǣċehūs is the literal term for a medical house, the general concept of a 'hospital' as a place of guest-welcoming comes from the Latin 'hospitium', which entered English much later.
- In Old English, the lǣċehūs was often associated with monasteries, as monks and nuns were the primary providers of medical care and hospitality for the poor.
- In the Old English period, 'leechcraft' or lǣcecræft was the term for the skill of medicine practiced within a lǣċehūs.
Examples in context
- Ic eom on þām lǣċehūse.I am in the hospital.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing where to find a sick friend.
- ÆthelstanHwǣr is se sēoca mann?Where is the sick man?
- MildrythHē is on þǣm lǣċehūse.He is in the hospital.
- ÆthelstanIs þæt lǣċehūs nēah?Is that hospital near?
- MildrythGēa, hit is nēah.Yes, it is near.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hospital” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
