ambulance

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts?
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂m̥bʰí
4. Proto-Italic*amβi-
5. Latinambi-
6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂elh₂-
7. Proto-Italic*alō
8. Latin*alō
9. Latinambulō
10. Latinambulān
11. Frenchambulant
12. Frenchambulance
13. English todayambulance

Borrowed from French ambulance, which replaced hôpital ambulant (“moving hospital”) via the suffix -ance, from Latin ambulō (“to walk; to go about”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 1854 An emergency vehicle designed for transporting seriously ill or injured people to a hospital.
• from 1798 A mobile field hospital.
• from late 19th c. Synonym of covered wagon.