Full video

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Hello and welcome to Let Them Talk. My

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name is Gideon and today we're going to

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talk about the difference between sick

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and ill.

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Okay. First, both words can be used to

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mean unwell.

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For example, I felt sick or I felt ill

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after the long journey.

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Sick and not ill is used before a noun.

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For example, I have to look after my

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sick pet.

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I'm taking sick leave from my job.

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In British English, to be sick can also

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mean to vomit. So, for example, after

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the party, he was sick on the pavement.

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Sick and not ill has the meaning of

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being fed up.

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For example, I'm sick of my job.

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Politicians make me sick.

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Some compound nouns use sick rather than

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ill, such as seasick or homesick.

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However, in some phrases we use ill,

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such as mentally ill. It's important to

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know about the origins of the two words

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in order to help understand differences.

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Sick is a Saxon word which has always

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had the meaning unwell.

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Ill is a Scandinavian word. It

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originally meant just bad and it only

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started being used as a synonym for sick

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in the 19th century. Its original

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meaning of bad is still used in many

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expressions. Here are some examples.

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Illmaned,

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ill- fated,

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an illconceived idea,

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illtimed, and ill at ease. For example,

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walking through the city late at night

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made me feel ill at ease. There are many

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more. So, if you see ill followed by an

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adjective, it usually means bad or

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badly. and not sick. That's it. Thank

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you for watching. More English language

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videos coming soon.

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