origins

ever wonder why we call ambulances ambulances when we call walking cases "ambulant?"

well, according to our trusty word origin source, it is because " the ambulance once brought the hospital to the patient. the french devised the term and applied it to their early field hospitals they called "hopitals ambulants." from this the name "ambulance" was applied to the vehicle- and it kept the name when it reversed the process and started bringing patients to the hospital."

the walking hospital. that just tickles me pink.