language is funny

[marycrawford]

I was having blood drawn today and was asked "Did you eat or drink anything today?" and it occurred to me as it always does that the official word for not having drunk or eaten yet in Dutch, the one they check off on the form, is so incredibly confusing. It's "nuchter" which ALSO means "I am not drunk, I have not consumed alcohol".

So full props to the nurse for asking me that sensible question instead of "Bent u nuchter?" which I've heard before.

But now it occurs to me that I don't know an English translation for 'nuchter' either. 'Sober' yes, but that doesn't cover the have you eaten/drunk part. (or does it? in that case, English is just as confusing...)

Comments

[laireshi]

Polish has a word for not having eaten/drunk (na czczo) and a separate one (or a few) for being drunk, but not one that would mean both, which I guess is helpful in medical settings.

[marycrawford]

Ha, a few words for being drunk - yeah, Dutch does too though the basic one is still clearly the same root as the English, 'dronken'. I love this stuff. And we don't have a word for the opposite condition to 'nuchter' - I have eaten and drunk - either.