The sweet wait of pregnancy is not always so sweet, we know that. And the pregnancy was not very different a few centuries ago, when the evolution of language gave them the name with which we know it today. Therefore, at the bottom of these names in different languages, meanings associated with 'burden' and even 'disease' can be traced.
But, What is that origin of the word "pregnancy" in different languages? The etymology can tell us a lot about how cultures conceive a reality (or at least how they did centuries ago), in this case that of the pregnant woman.
Although the original meaning is lost over the centuries, a denotation can be traced at the base of the word. It is not about the subjective personal meaning that pregnancy can have in each particular case, but about something more general, cultural, that might give that reality its name.
What happens and that these realities may have undergone changes over time sometimes even the origins are not at all clear ... so we can make curious hypotheses.
Pregnant, pregnant, pregnant
In Spanish according to Joan Coromines the etymology of the word "pregnancy" and "pregnant" comes from "getting pregnant" which means 'prevent, hinder'. In turn, this word is documented first in Leonese or Portuguese "Pregnancy", derived from 'loop, string, cord'. Will it have more to do with the umbilical cord than with the sense of "hindered"?
On the other hand, according to the same "pregnant" etymological dictionary comes from the Latin "praegnas" with the meaning of 'pregnant', 'pregnant', 'which is about to sprout' or 'full'.
Of uncertain origin is the word "pregnant." Although it is known that it comes from the late Latin "incincta", this in turn of "inciens" ('tight'). The popular speech associated this term with a derivative of "cignere" ("girdle", interpreting it as if it meant "not tight") or as a derivative of "incinere" ('surrounding something, like the belts and ribbons that pregnant women used to wear ).
With the same root as "pregnant" we have words like "embarrassing", which would relax for example with the English word "embarrassed", embarrassing. Was it so embarrassing to be pregnant? No wonder it remains a taboo subject ...
Slavic languages: pregnancy as a burden
The words to designate the idea of pregnant in the Slavic languages share the same etymological root of 'burden'. This is what we see in the case of Russian, where the word most commonly used to designate "pregnant" is "Beremenaya".
This word means "pregnant" in a figurative sense: the literal meaning of this word is very different, associated with an almost religious meaning of 'burden' or 'punishment'. Which reminds me of the biblical curse of "you will give birth in pain" ...
But is pregnancy a burden for women? Well, I would say that sometimes for some women it could be. And literally carry a few kilos more if we do ...
But what is clear is that the original root of the word is very far from the current meaning given to the word and that it will have different connotations according to women.
Between life and death
In the African Republic of Malawi we find another curious origin. Pregnancy seen as something that can give life, but also bring death. The word has the connotation of 'disease'.
In Chichewa, the language of Malawi, there are three words that designate "pregnancy": "pakati", "matenda" and "wodwala". Well, all three implicitly imply the idea of illness. The literal meaning of "paraki" is "between life and death." For its part, "wodwala" refers to someone who is sick.
Unfortunately, in this country and in others in the developing world, pregnancy is indeed much more likely to end badly than in other places ...
But although we were tempted to give that explanation for the root of the word, the truth is that in its origins it was as dangerous to give birth in Africa as anywhere in Europe.
Pregnancy and happiness in China
Finally a less depressing meaning (some will say less real). In China, one of the Mandarin words that designate the pregnant woman is "youxi" and means "to have happiness". The word is composed of two Chinese characters: 'you' (meaning 'have') and 'xi' (meaning 'happiness').
It is poetic that by joining both characters we get the word 'pregnancy'. Here we speak of sweet wait or "state of good hope" that we would say in our language.
Pregnant
The word "pregnant" meaning pregnant in English can also refer, for example, to something that is loaded with meaning or emotion. It comes from a Latin word that means 'before birth'. Over time, "pregnant" has acquired other meanings.
The chance of the evolution of the words may have caused this English word to "cross" with another of French origin and sound similar to "pregnant" to expand its meaning.
Big stomach
Here a realistic and not subjective origin of the word "pregnant." In this case in the language of the Amazonian tribe pirahã, where "koohiaaga" is the word corresponding to pregnant and means "stomach".
When the inhabitants of this community refer to a woman with "her big stomach", they mean she is in a state.
Anyway, let's think that many words we use today are far from their literal meanings. And each person adds the subjective meanings to the terms, so both in Spain and in China or in Malawi a woman can consider pregnancy more or less burden, more or less disease, more or less happy ...
In any case, the origin of the word "pregnant" or "pregnancy" in different languages is very curious. Although we bear in mind that many etymologies are also hypothetical, since the passage of centuries can blur linguistic origins.
