La quarantaine
Example: Après la quarantaine, il a enfin pu revoir ses amis en sécurité.
Definition
"La quarantaine" refers to the period of about forty days during which a person is isolated to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. It is often used in medicine to describe the practice of restricting contact after exposure to an infection to ensure safety and health.
Etymology
The term "la quarantaine" comes from the French word meaning 'forty,' indicating the traditional duration of this isolation period. Historically, ships arriving in ports were held for forty days to prevent plague spread. Did you know that the practice dates back to the 14th century during the Black Death?
Learn to use this word actively
"La quarantaine" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - Medicine - (A1-C2) - set 1", containing 109 commonly used words.
Would you like to not only understand these words, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select French as the language you want to learn.
Create a free account
